


Bow Down to the King

by champignon



Series: The King [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Iwaizumi is a workaholic, M/M, Minor Violence, Slow Build, Suga is a lifesaver, and he is so done with everything, everyone loves Suga, iwaizumi owns a club and everyone works there, later though, there's a rich person involved
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-17
Updated: 2016-03-11
Packaged: 2018-05-21 08:35:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 25,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6045058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/champignon/pseuds/champignon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This would all be over soon. All he had to do what get through this weekend. Just one party on one weekend and everything would go back to normal. </p><p>Iwaizumi owns a club and has to deal with some rich dude's movie premiere after-party.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello, I'm very excited to finally have the first chapter ready to put up!

Iwaizumi closed his eyes and took a slow drag of his cigarette, letting the smoke fill his lungs. He exhaled and the smoke dispersed around him, moving in lazy spirals. He was only 26, he shouldn’t be this stressed. 

He tried over and over again to find peace but worry gnawed at him. He had probably smoked half a pack trying to calm himself down. This would all be over soon. All he had to do what get through this weekend. Just one party on one weekend and everything would go back to normal. He pressed down on his temples, hoping the pressure would relieve him of the unavoidable headache that was he could feel coming.

He could hear the thump of the bass coming from downstairs. It made his chest shake on beat to whatever electronic shit they were playing downstairs. His phone rang for the hundredth time that day. He looked at the caller id and sighed. He was tired and hoped he didn't have to talk to that kid again. He put out the cigarette on the ash tray and picked up the phone.

“What now Suga?”

“It's him again,” Suga said calmly, “please be nice, he's just doing his job.” 

“Fine. Put him on line one,” Iwaizumi hung up on Suga, cursing the man for actually giving a damn about other people. He connected to the other call and breathed in. _You got this._

“Iwaizumi Hajime speaking” he said blandly.

“It's Kindaichi again. Listen I know you said we can't book the club for more than a day but he insists that he needs it for the whole weekend,” the voice on the phone sounded just as tired as Iwaizumi felt. _Maybe I'm not the only one who's done with that man's shit._

“Listen I appreciate the sentiment but we can't risk closing off for an entire weekend. The loss of income would be a big blow for us,” he explained to Kindaichi, “also I only have limited staff members, most of them will be dead by the time we get to Saturday night.”

Papers were shuffled around on the other end of the call for a bit until Kindaichi finally found what he was looking for. “Okay look. We're willing to pay you triple what we offered initially. He wants your club and will stop at nothing to get it. We can provide extra staff as well. Honestly if you decline we'll probably have to move the venue elsewhere.”

Fuck. He couldn't let that happen. The amount of publicity they would get from hosting the party would put them in the public’s eyes. Iwaizumi let his forehead drop down onto his desk. It'd be fine. One weekend and then it'd be over. “Fine. I don't know why you insist on my club but I won't complain. Just make sure to give me that money by tomorrow.”

“Nice doing business with you. Have a good night.” 

The phone call ended. Kindaichi was probably gonna call back in a few hours, probably with some other ridiculous request, not that you could top ‘have all the glass rims covered in edible gold’ request. Who the fuck wants to rim glasses with gold?

This whole thing was a mess and Iwaizumi couldn't wait for it to be over. It was only Wednesday night, he still had two days to get everything ready. He'd have to call in a staff meeting and make sure everyone knew exactly what their jobs were. He'd deal with that tomorrow. For now he was just gonna head out to the bar and mix up drink orders for his customers, they were probably overwhelmed with people by now. 

He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top buttons of his white dress shirt. He knew he complained too much. Secretly he loved his job. Club Seijoh had been his baby for years. He'd brought it up from nothing and now all his hard work was finally paying off. He had loyal staff, always willing to do whatever was needed to keep the club up and running. They didn't hesitate to talk to Iwaizumi about their personal affairs and Iwaizumi was glad he could call most of them his friends. His work hours were great, he could always go home early knowing the club was safe in Daichi’s hands. Not that he ever left early. Usually he'd be there all night, making sure everything was going according to plan.

His head began complaining the moment he stepped out of his office and the volume of the music had grown. He ploded down the hall, where he found Suga working away on the computer. His silver head was all Iwaizumi could see of Suga, as he was currently looking down at his notes. He was probably filling out orders and getting everything ready for the weekend. Suga had started out as just another bartender but Iwaizumi quickly saw his specific set of skills could be put to use as a trusty manager. So while Iwaizumi over saw things, the club operated smoothly thanks to the well-oiled gear that was Sugawara. 

“Hey Suga.”

“How'd it go boss?” Suga asked him curiously, looking up from the papers on his lap. Suga smiled at him and pushed up his glasses which were hanging from the tip of his nose. 

“It went as well as you'd expect. They wanted to triple their offer in exchange for renting it this whole weekend. So I let them,” Iwaizumi shook his head, “I can’t wait to be done with that self-centered brat.”

Suga nodded and smiled, “relax boss, it was smart to agree, their offer is far that of any other event we've hosted. Plus with all the press attention, I'm sure our profits will soar after this weekend.” His computer dinged and he turned his attention away from Iwaizumi for a second. 

“Also, I scheduled a mandatory staff meeting tomorrow. I thought you'd want to talk to everyone. Tell them what to expect and all that,” Suga told him. _He's better at my job than I am._

“Suga I don’t even know what to expect but you are a goddamn lifesaver.”

“Just doing my job,” Suga answered and began typing. “Please go help Noya and Asahi with the bar. Noya said they were ‘just fine’ but I’m pretty sure Asahi will die if he gets too much attention. I’ll take care of any calls that come your way.”

Iwaizumi sighed and headed down the stairs. The bass rattled in his chest now and the smell of smoke and sweat surrounded him. He pulled out a cigarette before he got to the “Workers Only” door. It was only 1 am but he already felt drained. _Asahi needs me._ He thought of his poor friend, juggling orders and conversation with strangers until he got so overwhelmed that he ran away in panic. That got him back on his feet, Iwaizumi pushed the door open and stepped out to the club’s main floor. 

The main floor was mostly a large dance floor with a DJ on one end and the bar on the other. Around the edges there were cushioned booths and bar tables. On both sides of the room long staircases led up to the second floor of the club. Most of the upper area seating was reserved for months in advance, ever since Tanaka had been hired as their chef, Seijoh’s food scene had grown in popularity. These reservations had been pushed back a whole week thanks to his sudden need for a ‘cool club to host my movie premiere party in.’ 

Lights flashed on beat with the music as sweaty bodies moved around, most slightly off beat but seemingly indifferent about it. Smoke filled the room, swirling around the dancers, making them seem distant and strange as shadows moved across their skin. Young women in short dresses and high heels hung out around the edges of the dance floor, gossiping with one another in hushed voices. When drunk men approached they would walk away in disgust, leaving the confused man watching them in despair.

Iwaizumi finished up the cigarette and flicked it to the floor, making sure he put it out. He looked around and saw his security teams, Tsukishima Kei and Hinata Shouyou, walking around the club. Hinata’s constant state of excitement and Tsukki’s disinterested stare made for an interesting pair. Hinata was jabbering to an uninterested Tsukki, who was currently rubbing his glasses against his plain black button up. Tsukki had been hired as a bouncer but his outwardly uncaring personality had made him a top choice for training others to handle any violence issues. Hinata had been hired by Suga, who said the small, young man had enough energy to get through an entire weekend of working. Iwaizumi had been unsure of this at first but after experiencing Hinata’s endless energy one night he had accepted Suga’s choice. The team loved Hinata, his bright smile could cheer anyone up just like Suga’s calming words could. Usually Hinata would go up to a trouble maker and tell them over and over what they had done wrong while Tsukki stared them down over Hinata’s shoulder. This would scare the shit out of any possible troublemaker and was a great source of entertainment for those watching.This weekend would be hard for them. They’d have to deal with rich celebrity snobs who didn’t give a damn about property damage and harassing strangers at a club. 

He snapped back to the job at hand and looked towards the bar. A large crowd had settled around the bar. Iwaizumi pushed his way to the side of the bar and pushed the half-door open. He found Nishinoya and Asahi doing their usual drink-mixing routine. Noya caught a silver mixer that had almost touched the ground and tossed it back up for Asahi to shake up. In return Asahi threw back the two shakers he was holding, knowing full-well that Noya would be behind him to receive his toss. Noya did catch the two shakers and pulled them open, taking a quick sip from one of them and then throwing whatever was inside into a larger container. Asahi had finished and also took a quick drink before pouring out a sparkling blue liquid into waiting shot glasses. Noya threw his container up over Asahi’s head, where Asahi caught it and poured the clear liquid into the remaining glasses. The crowd cheered but then Noya held up a hand to silence them. A hush fell as both of them grabbed two lit matches and blew, letting the liquid in their mouths pass through the open flame and catch on fire over the amazed crowd. Everyone went wild, cheering for both of them. Noya looked overjoyed with all the attention and compliments but Asahi looked like he wanted to hide under a box. Noya winked and thanked everyone for watching, reminding them to tip their beautiful servers. 

Iwaizumi walked up behind them and put one hand on each of their shoulders, “you guys were amazing, as always.” he leaned over to Asahi and quietly told him “go take a break, I'll take over for now.” Asahi mumbled a thanks and quickly walked out of the bar, breaking into a sprint when he saw people were beginning to surround him. 

People were still throwing money at Noya, which Noya grabbed with a smirk and placed in the belt of his pants. It made the crowd even more wild which resulted in more bills being thrown at him. _They're just giving him money._ “Noya, please don't take all of my customers’ money.”

“But Iwa-chan, they're giving you their money already,” Noya complained. 

“But if you take all their money now they won't come back later,” Iwaizumi patiently explained and flicked Noya’s head. 

“Fine, fine,” he lifted up his arms to silence the crowd and got up onto the bar table, “I’m afraid I won’t be able to accept more of your money today! Come back tomorrow!” He backflipped off the table and landed with a bow, the crowd clapped for him. Iwaizumi sighed and dispersed the already thinning crowd. 

Iwaizumi stood behind the bar and began taking people’s orders, mixing and serving drinks with a practiced ease. He liked bartending. It had been the way he was able to pay through his college career. After college he’d taken his business degree and bought a run down building with his savings. He continued bartending for a few years until he was finally able to rebuild everything up to his ridiculously high standards. He hadn’t been alone, his friend Daichi had been with Iwaizumi right off the bat. He had helped Iwaizumi find the property and had even chipped in some cash to help Iwaizumi buy it. Seijoh was Daichi’s club as much as it was Iwaizumi’s. 

“Hey, what would you like today?” Iwaizumi asked the man who had just walked up to the bar as he had been washing some shot glasses and laying them upside down to dry. .

“Mmm… You look pretty good to me,” the man said in a confident tone.

Iwaizumi dried off his hands and looked up, shooting the man an apathetic look. The man was… good-looking but had a vaguely menacing look about him. He wearing a tight fitting, black v neck that defined his broad shoulders and arms. The man’s head was shaved except for a streak of blonde hair running down the middle of his head. “I’m afraid I’m not for sale. Anything else you’d like?”

The man looked behind him and gave Iwaizumi a defeated sigh. “Look man, I have a bet going on with my two friends. It’s my first night here and they said they’d give me money if I got your number.”

That perked up Iwaizumi’s interest. “Oh, is that so?” Iwaizumi leaned in close to the man’s face, startling him, “tell me, what’s your name?” Iwaizumi asked him as he played with the man’s collar. 

“Yamamoto,” the man swallowed. Iwaizumi saw Yamamoto’s eyes move down to look at his lips.

Iwaizumi liked his lips and tested out the man's name, “Yamamoto… Who are your friends, Yamamoto?” 

“The two sitting at the table directly behind me. There’s a tall one with scary looking eyes and a shorter one with a bad hair job,” Yamamoto began saying. Iwaizumi looked over and recognized the two men. They were regulars here and Iwaizumi was on a first name basis with them. _Of course._ “Their names are--”

“-- Kozume Kenma and Kuroo Tetsuro.”

“You know them?! Those fucking bastards!” Yamamoto began getting out of his seat but Iwaizumi pushed him back down. 

“Calm down. They were just messing with you. They knew I wouldn’t give you anything so they saw it as an easy way to get money... How about I give you a drink and my number?” Iwaizumi let go of Yamamoto and ran his hands under the bar, looking for a pen. When he found one he uncapped it with his mouth, smirking as he wrote his real phone number onto the other man’s calloused hands. He then poured out a shot for Yamamoto to send him on his way. “on the house. Now you can go back and wipe those grins off their faces.”

Yamamoto got up, but stopped and turned back to Iwaizumi. “Why wouldn’t you give me anything?”

“You’re too pretty for me to deal with right now,” Iwaizumi said and turned to get another customer’s order. Yamamoto walked away in a trance. Iwaizumi watched him get to the table and show the other two his phone number. Kuroo laughed in amazement and Kenma stared with disbelief back and forth between his phone and Yamamoto’s hand. When Yamamoto held out his hand asking for the money they owed him Kenma and Kuroo grudgingly handed over two twenties. Serves them right.

Noya elbowed him, “you can’t just tell someone that attractive that they’re too pretty when you look like this,” he motioned to Iwaizumi, “that poor man's gonna spend the rest of his night wondering how someone could be ‘too pretty.’”

About thirty minutes later Kenma had appeared at the bar, staring at Iwaizumi with his golden cat-like eyes. Iwaizumi had ignored him and told Noya to take care of “that short one with the cool hair.” Kenma had stalked off in defeat and not ordering anything. This left Nishinoya mumbling over rude customers making him waste his time.

The rest of the night passed quickly, with the club finally closing as the sun began to rise over the horizon. Iwaizmui sighed in relief when the last guests left the club and slumped down onto a nearby seat. He pulled out his pack of cigarettes and pulled out the last one. He shuffled his hands around his pockets until he found his lighter. He blew in air until the cigarette finally lit and breathed in a sigh of relief.

“You'll die too young if you keep smoking that shit,” Daichi told him. 

“Die young or old, we all die anyways,” Iwaizumi shrugged his shoulders. “I can think of worse ways to go.” 

Daichi had arrived about an hour ago and had offered to take over so Iwaizumi could leave. He had declined, of course. Daichi and Suga now approached him. Suga was holding bottle of water and some ibuprofen pills. 

“Take this, right now.” Suga commanded him. Iwaizumi knew better than to argue with Suga when he was this demanding. 

“Are things ready for Friday night?” Daichi asked him, sliding into the other side of the booth followed by Suga.

Iwaizumi waved his question away, “yeah, yeah, don’t talk to me about it. I get a headache just from thinking about that planner kid… whatshisname… Kindaichi! That kid better be glad Suga exists or I would have blocked his phone number right from the start.”

“Oh that reminds me, Suga may have mentioned something about you leaving the club and going to sleep. He said, and I quote, ‘if he doesn’t leave before I do I will quit my job.’” Daichi smiled softly, “I bet you wouldn’t last a day without Suga.” 

Suga fiddled with his hands and did his best to avoid making eye contact with the other two men. His cheeks had turned a light shade of pink. Iwaizumi could see Daichi watching Suga, obviously pleased at his reaction. _These two need to get it on or I swear to god I’ll force them._

“Suga you’re too damn good for all of us,” Iwaizumi observed, “Daichi, don’t let him leave us.”

“Boss, I won’t let him out of my sight,” Daichi assured him. 

Suga had turned beet red from all the kind things they had been saying about him, “guys… I’m just doing my job, you don’t have to say all those things.”

“Suga, you’re doing all of our jobs better than we know how.” Iwaizumi stood up and pulled on his coat, “I gotta get going guys, time for sleep and all that. Can’t let our number one quit two days before hell rains down on us.” 

He searched his coat pockets and pulled out a set of keys. He sorted through them and found the main door’s keys, which he took out of the key ring and threw at Daichi with a wink. “Close up for me when everyone leaves.”

“Got it. Have a goodnight!” Daichi called out. When the remaining employees heard this they also wished Iwaizumi a goodnight as he walked out. 

Outside it was stinging cold. Iwaizumi could feel his eyes watering from the chilly wind. There were no clouds and the sky was exploding with more colors than Iwaizumi thought was possible. This right here was why he did what he did. Everyday there was a new sight to behold when he stepped outside. When his day ended a new day began for the rest of the city. At that moment, Iwaizumi and the city became one as everyone stopped to watch the rising sun. 

Iwaizumi let a genuine smile form on his face. His worries about the weekend faded as he walked down to his parked car. He sat in his car, relaxing as the air heated up around him. When he finally drove out of the club the sun was still shattering the sky into millions of colors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand that was the intro. More characters will be introduced soon. Boss Iwaizumi and Suga will get a lot of shit done.


	2. Two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the positive responses to this!!
> 
> Here's chapter two now, enjoy <3

A loud ring pierced the room. Iwaizumi’s hand shot out from under the covers and blindly searched the top of his bedside table for the phone. When he finally got a hold of it he smashed his finger on the snooze button. With the phone silenced for the next five minutes Iwaizumi took the time to stretch under the covers. He rubbed his eyes in the hopes that would wake him up a bit more.

When the alarm rang for a second time Iwaizumi wormed his way out of bed. A chill ran down his spine when the cool air touched his bare skin. He hated sleeping with a shirt on but maybe he should start using those PJs Daichi got him and avoid the shock that came from crawling out of bed in the middle of winter. He sat on his bed and picked up the phone. He scrolled through his notifications in disinterest. A notification for a news article about a movie star was the first thing he saw and he swept his finger on it to get rid of it. Aside from that he had the usual business emails, rent, bank account, and all that boring adult crap. There _was_ a nice email Suga had sent him about how the club was doing. Links in the email led him to some news that mentioned the club. How the hell did Suga have the time to find all this? There were also a few texts from Hinata, Noya, _and_ Tanaka, all of them seemed to want to take a break next weekend for ‘personal purposes’. _Where the hell are they going?_

The last message he had was from an unknown number. “No fucking way,” he said as he opened the message. The first one was from a few hours ago ‘Hey, thanks for the drink. Kinda sucks for you that I’m too pretty :)’ The second, and last, message had been sent 15 minutes ago. ‘that was an awful text i am so sorry i get nervous around pretty people’. Iwaizumi sighed and typed out a quick response ‘Yamamoto I gave you my number because you were a beautiful person in need of help, not so you could send me shitty pickup lines while I sleep.’ While he waited for a response Iwaizumi grabbed some sweatpants and a tshirt and put them on. When he finally checked his phone, Yamamoto's response only said ‘sorry sir’. Good.

He stepped out of his room and into the hallway leading through his living room and towards the front door. Iwaizumi slipped on the running shoes by the door, mentally preparing himself for the morning’s exercise. He jogged down the stairs to the entrance of his complex. It was actually around 3 pm but Iwaizumi worked weird hours so this was when his day usually began.

He really enjoyed jogging, it was a good way to relax and get his blood flowing, especially after a long night. He stopped outside of his apartment building and leaned down, stretching both his legs, feeling his muscles tense up. His pace was at a light jog, letting his body warm back up after a night of sleep. As he headed down the street he took in the day around him. 

The sun today was bright and sent down warm rays of light, contrasting the cool winter air that blew past him. Kids were just getting out of school and were making their way back home or to their various clubs or whatever it was kids did these days. He passed by nearby shops. A small bakery, a bike shop. A cute little flower shop on one corner made him slow down. Sweet smells drifted out of its open doors. Iwaizumi took in a deep breath, enjoying the smell of fresh flowers in the middle of winter.

The crisp air grew less bothersome and more soothing as he began to sweat. He ran away from his apartment for about forty minutes and then turned around, taking the same route he took every day. On the way back he pushed himself to a slightly faster pace and only broke into a sprint when he could see his street a few blocks away. By the time he had run up to his door he was out of breath and fully ready for the his day to actually being. But most importantly, he was ready for a shower.

The bathroom was a clean, white-walled room. It was large enough for Iwaizumi to have a nice bath and shower combo, which he absolutely adored. He squinted when he walked in and turned on the light. He took the time when he was awkwardly blind to brush his teeth and turn on the water, giving it time to warm up before he showered. By the time his eyes had adjusted the bathroom was heavy with fog. Iwaizumi stepped out of his sweaty clothes and into the shower. 

The water was scalding hot and fell pleasantly on Iwaizumi’s muscles. He relaxed under the water, letting it flow down his body. As he massaged conditioner into his scalp he hummed, clearly pleased. The club was gonna do so much better now that he had gotten a celebrity booking. He’d be able to pay his workers even more. They never insisted on it but he knew they’d appreciate it if they could go home with just a bit more in their pocket. Maybe he could finally take some vacation time for himself and accept Daichi’s offer to look after the club. Daichi had never accepted Iwaizumi’s attempts at hiring him as a secondary manager. All the work Daichi ever did was free. He insisted that his actual job paid him more than enough and that he saw the club as a fun after-work activity. Now Iwaizumi would be able to write Daichi a big-ass check as a thanks for all his hard work. His mind drifted to these thoughts as he scrubbed himself free of any sweat and dirt that may have gathered on his body.

He flew out of the shower and into his room, trying to avoid the slightly colder temperature of the hallway. In his room he picked out a nice outfit, a dark blue button up which he purposefully rolled up about halfway up his arm to show a hint of his tattoo and some black slacks. He did his best trying to fix his hair but it refused to cooperate and stuck up in all directions. His black hair was almost at his ears, longer than it should’ve been. When he was done he looked at himself in the mirror. He saw a tall, well-dressed, man. The nice clothes pleasantly contrasted with his pierced ears. His eyes were two emerald pools. If he looked close enough he could make out bags under his eyes but they weren’t too noticeable. With a shake of his head Iwaizumi left his room, making sure to turn off the light behind him. 

Iwaizumi was about to get something to eat before heading to the club but decided to go straight there. He could have a late lunch with Tanaka, who was probably already hard at work. He grabbed his car keys off the small table by the door and pulled on his black coat.

Outside the day still looked the same as it had when he first woke up. There was a bit more traffic, not that Iwaizumi cared. Traffic wasn’t a problem when you worked such odd hours. He made his way into his car and pulled out of the parking lot. Seijoh was about a twenty minute drive away from the city. It was close enough that all the rich kids didn’t complain but far enough that Iwaizumi didn’t have to worry about the club becoming a bother. He had decided he’d give Daichi a call to shorten the drive and ask some very important questions.

The phone only rang twice before Daichi answered. “Whatsup?” Iwaizumi heard what sounded like laughter on the other end.

“I have a few questions for you but if you’re busy I can call some other time.” 

“No, no, just give me a sec,” Iwaizumi heard Daichi shuffling around, doors opened and closed until the background noise behind Daichi had faded. “Alright, spit it out.”

“Daichi as I’ve been your friend for _years_ , I think you should possibly, definitely make a move on Suga.”

Iwaizumi heard Daichi gasp on the other end and imagined him shaking his head in denial, “What?” 

“Oh come on I’ve seen the way you two make eyes at each other, and the way Suga blushes at practically anything you say to him.”

Daichi laughed, he actually laughed. “What makes you think I haven’t already made a move?” 

That made Iwaizumi lose focus on the road for a second. He could see Daichi’s smirk, satisfied at his victory. “Noo. Don’t tell me you… Have you two… Y’know.” He didn’t want to force his friend into telling him but he was too curious to just leave it alone. 

“Well, lets just say that I used those club keys you gave me last night a lot later than I had expected to. So don’t blame Suga if he seems a bit more tired than usual.” 

“Oh my god. Daichi I never thought you’d be the one who’d use the club for such… activities.” 

Someone called out to Daichi on the other end, “sorry to disappoint Iwa. As much as I enjoy telling you all the details of my love life I gotta go now. Duty calls. I’ll see you later!” Daichi hung up before Iwaizumi could call out a goodbye. 

By the time he got to the club Iwaizumi was in a pretty good mood, Daichi’s confession had been an unexpected surprise. Also he hadn’t even smoked a single cigarette today. Daichi would be proud. The graveled parking lot held a few cars but Iwaizumi knew all of them belonged to his employees, no customer showed up here before 10pm. The walk from his car to the club was a short one. but when he stepped inside he was shivering. It was the price he had to pay, looking good didn’t come with its disadvantages and always freezing when he stepped outside in the winter was one of them. 

He greeted a few of the people who were cleaning and fixing the main area of the dance floor. As he passed he asked them to pull out enough seats for them to have their meeting out here. He headed upstairs, planning to stop at his office and drop off all his shit before going back down to grab lunch.

Suga greeted him the moment he pushed open the door to the break area. “Hey boss! There’s a cup of coffee on your desk.. I made it about ten minutes ago though so tell me if it’s too cold. I also have a few messages I took for you, want me to tell you everything or email you all the info?”

Iwaizumi stopped and stared at his coworker disbelief. Suga didn’t look tired at all, if anything his eyes twinkled more than yesterday. Had Daichi lied to him? “Suga, how the hell are you alive?”

Suga’s eyes brightened and he smiled at Iwaizumi, “I’m just doing my job boss!” 

“I’ll come back out and let you tell me everything. But Suga, if anyone finds out how amazing you are they’ll take you away…”

That got Suga to laugh, _such a sweet sound,_ “no worries boss, I’ll be here when you’re ready.”

Iwaizumi hurried to his office. He dropped everything onto the couch. There was a steaming mug of coffee waiting for him, just like Suga had promised. Iwaizumi smelled it and sighed. It was just the way he liked it. Pure black coffee. It was bitter but Iwaizumi enjoyed it more than having to taste all that fake sweetener crap. He left the room with said hot mug in hand. Suga waved him over to a sit on a chair next to him. Iwaizumi sat down, blowing the coffee in an attempt to cool it down enough so he didn’t burn himself. 

“Okay, so. You got about three more calls from Kindaichi. Oh come on don’t give me that face, he sounds like a perfectly kind human being who is just doing his job. He’s like me but for a rich person.” Iwaizumi gave Suga a blank stare. Suga exhaled, “it’s fine with me if you don’t listen, as long as you treat the man with all the respect he deserves I’ll leave you alone.”

“First time he called was to apologize for such a sudden change in plans. See, he’s nice. I told him it was all good and we’d be welcome to have him. Second time he said something about taking care of the paparazzi and making sure the food was good and I just assured him that we have one of the best chefs in the city here. The last time was actually an interesting call, he said his boss was worried about the security and had hired a private team of bodyguards to help us out with security. They’re called…” Suga looked at his computer, searching for a name, “ah there it is. It’s a team called Dateko. They handle events like this all the time. I called them and talked to a very nice man by the name of Futakuchi. He assured me that they’re fully willing to work with our team and said that we can have our safety managers give them a rundown on how the place works.” 

Suga stopped talking and looked at Iwaizumi waiting for a response. “Um… When will they be here?”

“Tomorrow afternoon if I remember correctly.” 

“Have you told Hinata and Tsukki anything about this yet?” Hinata would be overjoyed at being in charge of another team. Tsukki would probably hate it just as much as he hated anything else around here.

“No, I thought you’d like to tell them at the meeting tonight.”

“Oh, smart. Um, look Suga I’d love to be a better boss but at the moment I have a date with the chef who better have lunch ready or else I’ll probably break down in the middle of the kitchen.” Suga looked at him with… was that a smirk?

“I know. I texted him when you got here and he said he had everything ready…” 

Iwaizumi shook his head and got up, “I’ll be back up soon so don’t you dare take a break or relax.”

He practically ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. The kitchen looked as clean as ever. The white counters sparkled, the large metal ovens reflected everything with an eerily mirror-like quality. Even the sinks were clean, no dirty dishes in sight. It amazed Iwaizumi that such high standards of cleanness came from someone like…

A sudden force ran into him and crushed him, almost knocking both of them down to the floor. _Is this supposed to be a hug?_ “IWAIZUMI I MADE YOU FOOD!” 

“T-Tanaka,” Iwaizumi wheezed out, “I can’t breathe.”

“Oh! Sorry boss, I just haven’t seen you in so long!” Tanaka smiled, his shaved head and eyes making him look scarier than he actually was. Not that he didn’t use his features to scare any unwanted guests out of his kitchen. He was wearing a plain white shirt and sweat pants. He didn’t look like much but he was one hell of a cook. 

“Can’t live without me for less than a week, huh?” Tanaka jumped up. He was clearly still excited about something, his hands moved so fast Iwaizumi could barely keep up with him. “What’d you make for me today?” At the mention of food Tanaka stopped joking around and moved towards the back area of the kitchen with two covered plates. 

“Well, I know how much you _love_ tofu sooo,” Tanaka waved his hand over a covered plate and pulled it open. The smell that wafted out made Iwaizumi’s mouth water, “warm tofu, drizzled with a spicy soy and sesame sauce, coupled with some delicious white rice. I also have some mind-blowingly delicious chocolate cake. If you feel up for it.”

“Tanaka if you don’t give me that food right now I’ll fire you,” Iwaizumi threatened.

“Fire me for what? For being too good?” Tanaka laughed at him and handed him the dish. 

Iwaizumi took a bite and moaned, which elicited a snarky comment from Tanaka which involved moaning and privacy. For being so noisy all the time Tanaka was a damn good cook. The food was gone in seconds and Iwaizumi regretted not having taken his time. Tanaka had a piece of chocolate ready for him as soon as he finished lunch. The cake was rich and moist, perfect. “Tanaka you’re a goddamn genius.” Tanaka beamed at Iwaizumi’s compliment. Iwaizumi glanced at the time and decided to give Tanaka a reminder. “We have a meeting in about… ten minutes. Make sure to be there, alright?”

“Yep, got all the food pretty much ready to make for tonight. We’re fully booked again!” Tanaka loved pleasing people’s mouths with his flavorsome dishes. 

Iwaizumi got up and left the kitchen with a wave. Many of the staff was already on the dance floor, sitting on the chairs he had asked for when he first arrived. He realized now he had no idea what to tell them. He should probably head upstairs and write down _something_ to say. He saw Suga walking up to him with a brilliant smile. Was Suga holding a notebook? Had Suga…

“No fucking way Suga,” Iwaizumi said before Suga could greet him. 

Suga held out the notebook for him, “this should have everything you need for the staff meeting.”

“I don’t understand. Everytime I need something you just… show up. Are you a magical fairy creature?” _That would explain the silver hair._ Even after working with Suga for over four years he still couldn’t believe the man existed. Suga winked at him, _winked_ , the bastard.

The clock said it was almost 6pm, but Iwaizumi decided he could start early with most of his workers here already. He went to stand in front of the chairs, close enough so everyone could be able to hear and see him. “Okay everyone! I called this staff meeting because, in all honesty, this weekend was gonna be a big mess if I didn’t let you know just what to expect.” He looked down at Suga’s checklist. 

“First off, I gotta tell you guys. The club has been booked for the whole weekend. That means every night only people with invitations or on the guest list get in. It’s pretty much gonna be a three day party. Every night they’ll come and do whatever it is rich people do at parties, go home in the morning, and then come back for more.” Some groans of disapproval came from his workers, he’d expected that. “The only reason I agreed was because this is a good chance to publicize for Seijoh. With all these people here we’ll certainly get a lot of media attention. Hopefully after this weekend more people will be talking about us.”

His eyes moved down to glance at the next point. He looked towards Tsukishima and Hinata. “Kindaichi, our client’s manager or something, told us exactly what to be done about security. They actually hired a private company to help out with safety in and out of the club. Some team called Dateko is gonna come here.” He saw Hinata’s eyes widen. _So he recognizes the name._ “I was told to assign my own people to tell Dateko exactly what to do. Hinata and Tsukki, I seriously hope you guys actually know what you’re doing because I’m leaving this all up to you.” Iwaizumi looked over to his security managers to see if they’d understood everything. Tsukki was nodding solemnly while Hinata bounced in his seat. Their completely different attitudes were gonna make the Dateko meeting very interesting. “They’ll be here sometime tomorrow afternoon so make sure to leave someone in charge while you guys show them around.”

Before Iwaizumi could start speaking again, Hinata raised his hand as high as it could go. “Yes, Hinata?” 

“With all this extra security and stuff someone important must be coming right. Who could’ve booked the club for three whole days? Who has that kind of money?”

Iwaizumi saw many people nod at Hinata’s question. “I’m glad you asked since many of your co-workers seem to be wondering the same thing. In short, Seijoh was actually booked as part of a three day movie-premiere party. It’s gonna be a social event full of journalists and actors and whoever the dude wants to bring in. The man I’m talking about is some self-centered jerk who calls himself ‘the Great King’ No clue why he chose-”

Hinata, Tanaka, and Nishinoya jumped out of their seats and yelled at Iwaizumi, “THE GREAT KING IS COMING?”

“That’s what I just said isn’t it?” Why the hell were they freaking out so much?

Noya spoke out, “You mean to tell me that Oikawa Tooru, the Great King, is coming _here,_ to this club, in no less than... twenty-four hours.”

Iwaizumi cleared his throat. Obviously this was a much bigger deal than he’d thought it’d be. “Um… yes?”

The three began speaking all at once, trying to explain to Iwaizumi how excited they were and how cool this was. “Guys!” Iwaizumi snapped. They shut up right away, mouthing ‘sorry’ up at Iwaizumi. They may have been good friends but Iwaizumi was still their boss and right now they were interrupting his staff meeting.

“Right. So I just want everyone to do what they always do. This club has been up and running for years now. Just because this… man… is coming here doesn’t mean that you should just.. change the way you work. I have complete faith that every single one of you will handle this whole event with professionalism. Don’t hesitate to stop by my office and tell me about any worries you have or ask to have something clarified.” Iwaizumi clapped his hands, “that’s all I have for tonight. Now go back to work and get everything ready for tonight. Noya, Tanaka, Hinata, please stay back for a few minutes.”

The three men stayed back, talking idly with each other. Iwaizumi called them over to one of the booths on the side of the room. “You’re not in trouble or anything. Just wondering why all three of you happen to need a break over the same weekend.” 

Tanaka and Hinata looked at Noya, who smirked and looked directly into Iwaizumi’s eyes. “Well, there’s this volleyball tournament we got tickets to.” Hinata nodded vigorously. 

“Hm, I guess I can let you go for a few days. You guys have fun. Just be ready to come back on Monday ready to work alright?”

“Yesss!” Noya and Hinata high-fived each other. Tanaka, the taller of the two, jumped up to grab both of them in headlocks. 

Iwaizumi shook his head and walked off, leaving them to do their thing. He made his way up to spend the rest of his night locked up in his office. He had been slacking off on actually doing the more… boring things that were needed in order to run a club as big as this one. The night was still young but Iwaizumi knew it’d be long and boring. Maybe he’d head out to help out Suga at his desk when he got too bored of his own work. 

Papers were overflowing his desk, some had even ended up on the floor. It was all a mess of papers, sticky notes, and envelopes. He picked up the forms and set about organizing them. A stack for employee forms, another for order forms… yes, it all looked better already. Iwaizumi decided to start off with signing everything first. It’d be the easiest thing to do. He picked up his pen and began writing…

… Someone was shaking his shoulder... “Iwazumi,” Suga whispered to him.

He opened an eye and found Suga’s concerned face watching him for any signs of consciousness. Iwaizumi was on his desk, his left arm folded up under his face acted as a pillow. “What time’s it?” He asked sleepily. 

“It’s almost 6am… I was about to leave but I remembered I hadn’t seen you leaving your office. Good thing that I checked or you would’ve had to sleep here overnight.”

“Thank you Suga.” When had he fallen asleep? Last thing he remembered was that he’d gotten most of his work out of the way and told himself he’d take a small break. That had been a terrible choice and it had been his fault. No one he knew ever took ‘a small break’, other than Suga. Now his back hurt and he felt even more tired. Suga was still watching him, waiting to see if he needed help with anything. “Go home Suga, I’ll leave soon.”

Suga nodded to him and walked out, wishing Iwaizumi a goodnight.

By the time he was home it was 6:30am he fell asleep as soon as his head touched his silky pillow. His sleep was dreamless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Iwaizumi is a goddamn workaholic  
> Also bless Suga


	3. Three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanna thank everyone for reading! Im sooo glad you're all enjoying this much

“Iwaizumi!” Suga ran up to him the moment he walked through the door of the club. “We’re all set for tonight. Dateko should be arriving at any moment, Hinata seems very excited about getting to boss people around actually.” 

“That’s the best news I’ve heard today.” Iwaizumi rubbed his eyes and yawned, “thanks for making me go home last night, I don’t think I’d be ready to handle this otherwise.” 

Iwaizumi had gotten home later than usual and crashed on his bed. He had woken up laying on his bed, still wearing yesterday’s work clothes. His whole body ached from having slept on his desk back at the office and he had resorted to taking an hour long bath to get rid of the knots on his back. He had been so worried about not being at the club earlier on such an important evening. It was, after all, the first day of the weekend-long party. 

He’d worriedly texted Suga, asking if he should rush over. Suga had assured him that Daichi had stepped up to take watch over things until Iwaizumi made it to the club. Daichi was in charge. That was good. Daichi may not have run the club day-to-day like Iwaizumi did but he sure knew how to handle situations like this better than anyone else. 

Now that he was at the club Iwaizumi could tell everyone had been working hard to get everything ready for tonight. Music was playing softly, someone had probably made a new playlist just for this occasion. In just under an hour the doors to the club would open and hundreds of people would come streaming in. 

Where was that goddamn security team?

Just as Iwaizumi was about to pull out his phone to call Futakuchi and ask about his team’s whereabouts, the door was slammed open. Giants. That’s all Iwaizumi saw. The men that walked through the door cast long shadows into the club. _Holy shit._ He saw Hinata slowly walking forward and hiding behind Iwaizumi, “Iwa they’re so tall…”

Iwaizumi couldn’t help himself, “I mean… it’s not like that’s hard or anything.” Hinata looked up at him in shock.

“Boss, not you too… Why are all the short jokes directed at me? Noya is shorter than me!” Hinata looked back at the men and decided better than to complain about his height when they were around. “Iwa am I in charge of those… things?”

“Yes, go get Tsukki while I introduce myself. Run Hinata, don’t wanna make the tall dudes angry.” Hinata darted off to get Tsukki, who was most likely in the break room playing around on his phone. 

Iwaizumi walked up to the new group of men and introduced himself. “Hey guys, I’m Iwaizumi. I’m guessing you’re the Dateko team that, uh... Kindaichi hired?” He actually had to look up at them, that never happened to him.

A man stepped forward, holding a hand out. Iwaizumi grasped it, shaking hands with him. “Kenji Futakuchi. I’ve heard a lot about you. These other three are my team.” 

He pointed to the tallest member, a white haired man with serious-looking eyes, “that’s Aone, don’t mind his looks he’s actually quite sweet.” Aone was staring past Iwaizumi and towards the back of the room. Iwaizumi looked followed his gaze and found it landed on Asahi who was unsuccessfully trying to hide behind Nishinoya. “The blond is Yasushi Kamasaki,” Futakuchi leaned in to whisper something to Iwaizumi, “he’s actually the real boss but I’m better at speaking to people.” Kamasaki nodded at him. The remaining member was looking around the place with excitement, “that ball of energy right there is Kanji Koganegawa. He’s our newest member but don’t worry, he’s just as good as the rest of us.”

“I believe we were to be introduced to your security managers so that they could assign us our duties?” Kamasaki spoke, making Futakuchi jump in surprise. 

Iwaizumi nodded, motioned for Tsukki and Hinata to come forward. “Hinata Shouyou and Tsukishima Kei. They take care of things around here. I’m pretty sure they can give you more info about everything so I’ll leave you guys alone.” Hinata practically leaped forwards, a small orange ball of excitement and nervousness. Tsukki looked at the four men from behind his glasses in absolute disinterest, as usual.

“Oh my god! He’s so small!” Koganegawa moved forward to wrap his arms around a very confused Hinata. Tsukki snorted at this. That was new... Tsukki never found anything amusing. Iwaizumi laughed at the ridiculousness of Hinata being embraced by Koganegawa and walked off, leaving them to do their thing. 

He went around, asking everyone if they were ready. Most of his employees seemed relaxed, a rare few were very nervous about the fact that famous people were gonna come to _this_ club. Asahi was shaking and Nishinoya was doing his best to calm him down with gentle pats on his shoulder, “that tall man was looking right at me. What did I do wrong?” 

“You did nothing wrong Asahi, don’t worry about it alright?” Noya said in a comforting tone. Iwaizumi decided Noya would probably be better at taking care of a nervous Asahi than he would be so he left them alone. 

Aone and Hinata were taking care of the main doors. A long line was already forming outside, photographers and the press were already conducting interviews with those waiting in line. 

“Excuse me, do you happen to be Hajime Iwaizumi?” A very tall man asked him when he took a peek outside. Somehow he was bigger than Aone but seemed less menacing than a rabbit. His silver hair and his child-like green eyes brought even more attention to him. A small, almond-haired child stood next to the giant. 

“Yes, that’d be me.” Iwaizumi squinted at the child that was wearing a very well-fitting suit and shook his head. He was too well-dressed to be a child. “Do you need anything?”

“I was wondering if it’d be possible to add four more guests to my list,” the man asked shyly, “I forgot to do it before coming here and they’re gonna be so sad if they don’t get in.” 

“Yeah, yeah no problem. Just talk to Hinata, the small one over there by the door and he can help you guys out. Make sure to tell him Iwaizumi sent you or he may not let you do anything about the missing guests.” The man looked over and saw Aone’s large body standing next to Hinata and frowned. 

He looked down at the man-child, “Yaku he’s scary… Can you please go talk to the small one?” Yaku rolled his eyes at the request but didn’t outright deny him. Instead he left the giant’s side and weaved his way through the crowd with an ease that only someone that small could have. _Strange…_

“I’ll see you later,” Iwaizumi said and left the tall man alone. Iwaizumi started the music and turned off the emergency lights, making the large open space more intimate. They were ready. He gave Hinata a thumbs up when he peeked inside. 

The doors opened a few minutes later. A crowd of well-dressed people streamed in and moved around the room. Iwaizumi watched everyone, seeing many familiar faces. _Shit. There are actual famous people here._

He saw a streak of orange running towards him and suddenly Hinata was standing next to him with two strangers. “Hajime, Hajime! This is Yachi and her date Kageyama Tobio. He’s not really her date because he’s g-” Hinata stopped talking when the raven-haired man slapped a hand over his mouth. 

Iwaizumi raised his eyebrows in question and Kageyama shrugged at him, “I’m so sorry that you have to work with him. Does he ever stop talking?”

“No, he just keeps going.” Iwaizumi shook Kageyama’s hand and bowed at the petite blonde. She blushed and looked away from Iwaizumi. He recognized her, she’d been the main character in some recent murder drama show. “As Hinata here told you already I’m Iwaizumi, I run things around here or... try to.”

“Are you kidding?! Iwa is the _best_ boss ever! He put me in charge of security and I get to boss around these really big dudes. He’s _awesome_!” Hinata just kept talking until he saw the look Iwaizumi was giving him.

“If we’re on the topic of your job Hinata, aren’t you supposed to be working right now?”

Hinata smiled at him. Where did he get so much energy from? “Aone told me I could come hang out with Yachi and Tobio for a little bit. Most people have gotten in already anyways. Oh my goodness is that _chocolate_?” Hinata was distracted by a chocolate fountain on one side of the room and dragged his two friends away. Kageyama murmured a quick goodbye to Iwaizumi. 

With a sigh Iwaizumi sat down on an empty stool at the bar. He really needed a drink if he was gonna get through tonight in one piece. He asked for a shot and Noya appeared instantly with a glass of water. "Hajime you can't drink, especially tonight. We need you at your best," Noya reminded him. Ugh.

"Fine, fine. Gimme that water," he took the glass and sighed. It was nice, cold water which did exactly what Iwaizumi had wanted. Now that he felt more alert he looked over at Noya and mumbled a faint "thanks." Noya hummed in response and continued working. Iwaizumi sat around, trying his best not to attract anyone's attention.

Noya tapped the table to get Iwaizumi’s attention, “look who’s where.” Iwaizumi looked behind him and couldn’t believe it. Kenma and Kuroo were walking up to the bar, obviously pleased with themselves. A few moments later spiked white hair and a blond mohawk emerged from the crowd. How the hell had they gotten in here. 

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Iwaizumi asked Kuroo, not even trying to hide the surprised tone from his voice. Even Yamamoto and whoever that spiky-haired dude was had gotten in. 

“Lev got us in.” Kuroo answered nonchalantly. _Lev?_ “You know, the tall lanky actor dude. He’s my friend. Kenma and I went to high school with him.” 

“Oh, alright then.” Those two never failed to surprise him. Iwaizumi looked to his side and found Yamamoto eyeing him every five seconds. Iwaizumi winked and Yamamoto’s eyes widened. It was so easy to mess with that kid. So easy. He turned his attention to the only member of the party that he didn’t know, “and who might you be?”

“Brooo, this is Bokuto. He’s like, my best friend y’know?” Kuroo answered for his friend. “He’s the peanut-butter to my jelly… Wait. No. That’s Kenma. What are you dude?”

“I’m the,” Bokuto moved his hands dramatically, “chocolate to your raspberry. Wait no, that’s you and Kenma too.” Bokuto grabbed Kuroo’s hand and cried, “have you replaced me after all these years? We made a blood pact dude. Did you break it?” 

“You’re my best friend! I’d never do that to you.” Kuroo said and got up to wrap his arms around Bokuto in a bear hug. 

Iwaizumi had watched this whole exchange with curiousity. Kenma and Kuroo had been coming to the club ever since it opened. Apparently they liked the atmosphere and the fact that it wasn’t crowded all the time. They were nice people to talk to and Iwaizumi seriously enjoyed their bantering, but Iwaizumi had never thought of hanging out with them outside of work. Now that he’d met Bokuto he wondered what their other friends were like. Bokuto was just what he’d expect Kuroo’s best friend to be-- weird and full of energy and strangely fun to be around. 

“I’m glad you guys were able to make it in. I was afraid I wouldn’t know anyone who showed up this weekend.” Iwaizumi told Kenma, who had been quietly listening to Bokuto and Kuroo’s exchange this whole time. 

Kenma’s golden cat-eyes looked up from his phone, “that’s what friends are for” he said. Kenma smiled, such a rare sight. _Friends…_ Why did the sudden confirmation of their friendship make Iwaizumi so happy?

“Oh my god my heart,” Bokuto said and pointed behind Iwaizumi, “it has been stolen”. Iwaizumi looked over at whoever had ‘stolen’ Bokuto’s heart and saw Akaashi standing against one of the walls looking out at the crowd. “He’s probably a model or something, right Kuroo?” 

“Yeah man, I bet he is, look at his intense eyes, he’s probably practicing or something,” Kuroo told Bokuto.

“He’s actually the sous-chef here,” Noya chimed from behind the bar. Bokuto turned around and shot questions at Noya, who answered none of them and just smiled. Bokuto was in dismay. 

Bokuto turned and stared down at Iwaizumi with large owl-like eyes. “Iwaizumi pleeease tell me more about that beautiful man,” Bokuto got in his knees and begged Iwaizumi. “I can’t let my one true love escape from me!”

“I can’t disclose any personal information about my workers Bokuto,” Iwaizumi began saying. Tears formed in Bokuto’s eyes. _What the hell?_ He felt awful, as if he’d taken some little kid’s ice cream or something. “He wouldn’t want to talk to you right now anyways, he likes peace and calm and stuff like that.” Bokuto got up and straightened himself. His previously upset demeanor was gone and replaced with what seemed to be determination. He suddenly shot off in Akaashi’s direction, leaving the rest of his friends behind. 

“Good luck!” Kuroo shouted out.

Yamamoto sighed and shook his head at his friend's antics, “can I please have a shot?” 

Noya nodded and said “anything for such a pretty face.” Yamamoto’s face grew red as he looked between Noya and Iwaizumi. 

“Now, now Noya. Please don’t harass my customers. Someone as great as Yamamoto doesn’t deserve to be treated this way,” Iwaizumi put his arm around Yamamoto’s shoulders. Noya nodded in agreement and handed Yamamoto a shot. He quickly drank it down and asked for another one. Iwaizumi watched as Yamamoto drank down several more shots before Kuroo grabbed his hand and guided him away, saying something about “finding that dumbass Bokuto.”

“Hajime, you’re gonna give the man a heart attack. He probably thinks you're such a jerk!” Noya chided Iwaizumi. 

Iwaizumi hummed along to the music and ignored Noya. He should probably head back upstairs to finish off the paperwork he had fallen asleep on last night. “Noya I gotta go be a good boss and do my job, keep up the good work.” 

“Right, right, just ignore my attempts to make you stop teasing Yamamoto so much,” Nishinoya grumbled. Iwaizumi got off the stool he’d been sitting on and headed straight to the back of the room. 

Upstairs, Suga was tirelessly typing away on his keyboard while Daichi sat next to him. They were talking in quiet voices, Daichi said something that made Suga turn red and giggle. They hadn’t seem Iwaizumi yet so he took the chance to snap a few pictures of them together. Perfect blackmail material. God knew Daichi had several embarrassing photographs of him. 

When he was done Iwaizumi coughed and pretended to just have gotten up the stairs. Suga smiled at him, “hey boss! There’s been a reporter waiting to speak to you in your office for about an hour. He said he wanted a private interview.” That was strange, usually Suga didn’t let people wait in his office for such a long time. He’d better hurry and not make the reporter wait any longer.

“Hey Daichi,” Iwaizumi said as he walked past. He winked at Daichi who glared at him until he was out of sight. 

He pushed open the door to his office to find the reporter sitting on his couch, scrolling down on his phone. “Sorry to have kept you waiting for so long,” Iwaizumi apologized. He set his things down on the desk and sat down. The reporter pushed himself off the couch and towards the empty chair in front of Iwaizumi.

“It’s no problem, you happen to have a fantastic secretary that kept me well-supplied with coffee,” the man responded in a rich, baritone tone. Iwaizumi looked at the man and felt his mouth fall open. No wonder Suga had let him in. The man had probably charmed his way in here, Suga was a sucker for compliments. He was… well… he was good-looking. He sported a dark brown undercut with the rest of his hair the color of sand. He had sharp features, high cheekbones and good eyebrows.. His ears had black studs, just like Iwaizumi’s. He trailed the reporter’s features and found warm brown eyes and lips drawn into a smirk. How long had he been staring?

“Hi. I’m Yuuji Terushima,” his voice so smooth. The reporter held out his hand. Iwaizumi caught a glimpse of what seemed like a tongue piercing. _Fuck me._ Iwaizumi shook the hand in a sort of trance. He didn’t have to time to deal with a reporter now. More specifically he didn’t have time to deal with _Terushima_ right now. 

Iwaizumi swallowed and composed himself, “what can I help you with?” He hoped he sounded emotionless, which was what he wanted, he didn’t need the reporter getting any wrong ideas. 

“I just wanted to get to know the man behind the club that caught the Great King’s eye. I want everyone to know about the great Hajime Iwaizumi,” the name rolled off his tongue and Terushima looked straight at Iwaizumi. That was definitely a tongue piercing. 

Iwaizumi knew Terushima would be persistent, just like any other reporter he’d ever encountered, and wouldn’t leave unless he got exactly what he had come here for. Iwaizumi leaned forwards, placing his hands flat on his desk, “and what will I get in return, Yuuji?” 

Terushima smiled as if he’d been expecting this, he spread his hands around Iwaizumi’s hands and leaned forwards. He looked down at Iwaizumi and whispered, “I can say some damn good things about Seijoh, I bet the business would be very appreciated, and I’m pretty sure I’d do anything else if you just gave me the interview.”

Iwaizumi caught his breath and moved his face forward. He could smell Terushima’s cologne and felt the warm air of his breath. “Anything?” he whispered. Terushima’s hand moved up to grab Iwaizumi’s collar and pulled him even closer. Terushima was about to answer but was interrupted when Daichi walked into the office. 

Daichi stopped in his tracks and took a moment to look at the scene in front of him. Iwaizumi and Terushima were frozen in place, their faces separated only by a few centimeters. “Umm, Noya needs you to help him out at the bar. I’ll, uh, wait outside.” He slowly walked backwards out of the office and closed the door. 

Iwaizumi pulled back and laughed, “Daichi is never gonna let me hear the end of this.” He knew Terushima was watching him, not missing a single one of his movements. He stood up and ran both his hands through his hair. What had he almost done?

This was no time to have a small crisis since the man he was having the crisis about was still standing by his desk. Iwaizumi rumaged through his drawers and pulled out a sticky note. He quickly wrote down his email and phone number and handed it to Terushima. “We can meet up some other day if you still want that interview. Here’s my info, just contact me when you want to meet up.” 

Terushima nodded, “I’ll make sure to do that very soon,” his face was still flushed and he still seemed to be a bit out of breath.

“Oh, Terushima, I should warn you. My hours are a bit… different than usual. It may be hard to meet up at times that fit in both of our schedules.”

“That’s fine, I can be flexible.” Terushima left the office without a farewell. 

Iwaizumi had never been more frustrated. He needed to smoke. Right now. He searched his drawers for the pack he’d hid in there a few days ago. When he found it he quickly lit one and breathed in the chemicals. He exhaled the smoke slowly, taking slow, deep breaths. When he finally felt ready to face Daichi he put out the cigarette and opened the door to the office. Thankfully, Daichi wasn’t in sight.

His relief was short-lived though. Daichi was waiting for him next to Suga. The moment he saw Iwaizumi Daichi looked at him in that annoying dad face. “Iwaizumi, what did I just see?”

“Suga’s the one who let him in! The bastard probably charmed my poor assistant just to get into my office,” Iwaizumi shot back. Daichi looked at him with disapproval. “Okay. Fine. You may or may not have walked in right when we were negotiating the price of the interview.”

Daichi raised his eyebrows, “and just how was he gonna pay you Iwa?”

“He’s the one who started it!,” he explained. “The man was practically oozing sex Daichi. I couldn’t help myself...”

Suga looked up from his work, unable to ignore the situation. “Boss, if you don’t mind me asking, how long has it been since you last… hooked up with someone?” How could Suga ask that so sincerely?

“I’m not gonna answer you Suga.” _Almost a year._ “I’m gonna go help out NIshinoya. Goodbye lover boys.” Suga’s mouth dropped open and he turned towards Daichi. Daichi was in shock. “Didn’t think I’d go that low, huh Daichi? Well you were wroong.” He didn’t want to stay in that room any longer than he had to, so he made his way back to the bar in mere seconds. 

“Thanks for coming, I think we’re getting swamped for the next few minutes and then we’ll be okay,” Noya explained to him. “Asahi went upstairs to the VIP section to help Tanaka out with orders, so for now it’s just you and me buddy.”

“Alright, lets get some drinks out,” Iwaizumi said and walked up to the first person he could find, “can I take your order ma’am?”

\---

An hour later most of the swarm was gone, leaving Noya and Iwaizumi covered in a light sweat. “Wow. That took a lot longer than I thought, sorry about that boss,” Noya said apologetically. 

“No worries, I honestly enjoy getting to do things like this instead of sitting in my office all day.” 

Iwaizumi scanned the crowd, trying to see if he could find anyone he knew. He met Tsukishima’s eyes, who were also scanning the sea of faces, and nodded in acknowledgement. He saw a familiar blond head and stopped. That was definitely Terushima, he could place a name to that undercut any day now. Terushima seemed to be in deep conversation with…a... man. _Hot fucking damn. ___

__If Terushima had been attractive then that _man_ was a god. That suit... The shirt underneath had been left only partly buttoned. His face, oh god his face. it was soft and sharp at the same time. The edges of his jaw were strong and well defined. His nose curved outwards delicately. Chocolate hair stuck up in every possible directions but that just made him more attractive. Had that man just woken up like this? Iwaizumi felt his heart skip a beat as chocolate eye met his. _ _

__The man’s eyes widened, did he recognize Iwaizumi?_ _

__Wait… Why did that man seem familiar? Was it the way he stood out from everyone else? The way he seemed to be the center of attention without even trying?_ _

__“Hey, Nishinoya. Who is _he_?” Iwaizumi asked and nodded towards the mysterious man. _ _

__Noya took one look and began laughing, tears fell from his eyes, as he calmed down and looked up at Iwaizumi. “Did you really just ask me who _that_ man is?” When Iwaizumi nodded Noya shook his head. “Man, I knew you worked all day and night but to not know what your employer looks like, that’s just… so sad man.”_ _

__What._ _

__Iwaizumi turned his back on the crowd and faced Nishinoya, who didn’t seem to be joking around this time. “ _He_ is Oikawa Tooru? That man right there.” Noya nodded enthusiastically. “Holy crap Noya.”_ _

__Noya smiled, “that man has got to be the most attractive human being I’ve ever seen. Even I, Asahi’s ever-loyal partner, have to admit that _he_ ,” Noya looked over at the Great King, “is one ass I’d--”_ _

__“I gotta stop you right there because I have just about no interest in hearing you talk about my… employer… like that.” Iwaizumi shook his head, “I need a drink. Or ten." This time Noya didn't stop him._ _

__\--_ _

__Iwaizumi stood behind the bar nursing a beer for what seemed like eternity. Every now and then he’d steal a glance in Oikawa’s direction just to find the man’s dark eyes looking in his direction. Why was he looking at him, did he have something on his face? “Noya is there something wrong with the way I look?”_ _

__NIshinoya examined Iwaizumi’s deep blue button up and black slacks. “Uh, not really, you seem fine. Is something wrong?” Iwaizumi shook his head. He was just being paranoid, he was probably just nervous. “Hey Noya, you okay by yourself for ten minutes? I need a break.” Noya waved him away and Iwaizumi stepped out from behind the bar._ _

__He went out to the back of the club. The night was chilly and he hadn’t bothered bringing a jacket with him but it didn’t really matter at the moment. All he needed was one smoke and then he’d head back in. The light from the lighter’s flame lit his face for the few seconds it took to light up the cigarette. Iwaizumi sighed and slumped back against the wall. He needed something, a distraction._ _

__He checked his phone for the first time in the night and sighed in relief. It was almost time to start kicking people out. The club had been emptying out in the last hour or so but there were still a fair amount of people in there._ _

__A few texts waited for him. He clicked open the one from Kuroo and sighed. ‘what did u do to yamamoto dude hes been crying about being pretty for the past hour. also i gave bokuto ur phone number <3’. _ _

__So that’s who the other texts were from. ‘You’re keeping me away from my one true love, how does that feel?’ The texts got progressively more cryptic as the night passed. ‘I said Hi and he ignored me’ and ‘o hym dog if his a chef he cn coook imin lov’ where among Iwaizumi’s favorites. Akaashi would do that, ignore someone until he found a reason to talk to them. “I guess it wouldn’t really hurt to properly introduce Akaashi to him…” Iwaizumi tried convincing himself and then shook his head. From what he’d seen Bokuto was a ball of energy just waiting to be released and Akaashi’s reserved personality was the complete opposite._ _

__Why the hell was he worrying about other people when he had just had the most frustrating night ever. First some sort of gorgeous, wannabe-punk reporter had asked for an interview that had ended with them almost doing... something. Then he finds out the man that has been a pain in his ass for the past few weeks is an actual, living god. How the hell was he supposed to do his job now?_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Iwaizumi is so confused, my poor bb


	4. Four.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 100 Kudos!!!  
> Thank you guys soooo much for reading this <3 <3 <3
> 
> a _lot_ happens in this chapter so sorry if it gets a bit confusing~

The rest of the weekend went by with ease. Iwaizumi still felt nervous just by being around Oikawa Tooru, but he told himself to stop being so worried and just get through it. 

On Saturday, Iwaizumi caught the actor looking at him at various times through the night. The actor would hold eye contact with him and then quickly glance away, leaving Iwaizumi to puzzle over the meaning of those glances. From what Iwaizumi could see Oikawa was friendly and loved by everyone. Iwaizumi saw the women in the club glancing at him with wide eyes, but Oikawa pretended to not see them. Why did he keep looking at him?

Every time he glanced up Oikawa was closer to the bar and was talking to someone new. He was so at ease with his popularity that Iwaizumi couldn't help but be slightly jealous of the man.

He finally met Kindaichi and Iwaizumi regretted the way he had been treating the man. Kindaichi was almost as sweet and caring as Suga was. When they met that night Kindaichi seemed very nervous about meeting the man that had been treating him like… well, like shit. Iwaizumi instantly apologized and asked Kindaichi about his job. 

Apparently Kindaichi was the Great King’s personal manager. The two had gone through college together and when Oikawa rose to fame and needed someone to handle his life, Kindaichi seemed like a good choice. “I don’t know what he saw in me,” Kindaichi said to Iwaizumi. He reminded Iwaizumi so much of Suga that he couldn’t help but warm up to the pointy-haired man. 

The people in the club were some of the most well-behaved customers Iwaizumi had ever had. He felt terrible having judged them from so early on. He knew better than to form expectations just because of rumors about how seemingly uncaring the rich and famous were. They were just normal people having fun. 

Seijoh was running flawlessly thanks to the non-stop effort of his team. He’d have to thank them in some way after the weekend was over. Letting all this hard work go unrewarded seemed like a bad move to Iwaizumi. He approached Suga later that night with his idea, Suga immediately agreed and began planning the reward. The plan was safe in Suga’s hands.

On Sunday night, Iwaizumi saw Oikawa heading in his direction. _Oh no, fuckfuckfuck._ He wasn’t ready to talk to the King. Iwaizumi turned to Noya and Asahi, eyes begging for help, but his servers pretended not to see him. “You two are jerks,” Iwaizumi whispered to them as they tried to hide their laughter. Asahi placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, a sympathetic gesture. 

The Great King finally reached the bar and Iwaizumi tried his best to clear his face of emotions. Damn, Oikawa was tall. Iwaizumi had to look up at the man in feigned disinterest. Oikawa didn’t say anything, he just looked down at Iwaizumi with those beautiful, deep, brown eyes. Up close Iwaizumi could make out the finer detail of Oikawa’s features. His dark eyes seemed to move and shift as the club lights hit him. Long eyelashes lined his almond-shaped eyes. Dimples formed on his cheeks when he smiled. His nose was peppered with very light freckles that he wasn’t trying hard to hide. Cute. 

_Say something Hajime._ He told himself, but no words ever got out of his mouth because Oikawa Tooru talked first. “Iwaizumi Hajime,” he said in a knowing tone. 

_How the hell does he know my name?_ Wait, the actor had specifically asked for this club so Iwaizumi shouldn’t be surprised that he knew the owner’s name. Oiakwa extended a hand out as Iwaizumi greeted him, “Oikawa Tooru, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Can I get you anything to drink?”

Iwaizumi felt his brain shut down when he saw Oikawa smile. It wasn’t fair, no one should be able to do that to Iwaizumi. The smile seemed almost… mocking? Oikawa seemed to be very entertained by something. That smile made Iwaizumi feel like he was missing something, some crucial piece of information that Oikawa was very well aware of. “No thank you, I don’t drink.” Of course he didn’t. What a perfect human being.

“Ah alright. Well it’s good to meet the man that chose Seijoh. We’re honored to host you.” Iwaizumi reached out to firmly clasp the man’s hands. They were not soft hands, something he would have expected of someone from Oikawa’s… status. 

“I agree, it’s good to _finally_ meet the man behind the club. Terushima told me quite a lot about you,” there was a knowing look in Oikawa’s eyes. Oh no. Had Terushima told Oikawa about their little… encounter? Oikawa leaned in and whispered to Iwaizumi, “don’t worry Hajime, I know how to keep a secret.” 

Hajime.

Then that man had the guts to take advantage of his bewilderment and _wink_ at Iwaizumi. 

The way Oikawa said the name made Iwaizumi’s eyes widened. Behind Iwaizumi, Noya and Asahi were discreetly listening in. Asahi choked on the water he’d been drinking and Noya coughed over a gasp. Iwaizumi had been trying to keep this meeting professional but that was the last straw. That man couldn’t come in here and treat Iwaizumi like… like a friend. Who did he think he was?

“Well then,Tooru _did_ you come here for some reason or just to keep me from doing my job?” Iwaizumi said the words a bit too harshly. Oikawa’s smile fell from his face and was replaced with a look of annoyance. 

“Oh, is that any way to treat your employer Iwaizumi?” Oikawa asked, his voice had dropped several octaves. His eyes held a strange look. _Oh so that’s what we’re doing?_

Iwaizumi looked up at Oikawa in defiance. Why did he have to be so damn tall? “I apologize. _Sir._ ” Oikawa’s lips formed a smirk. “Did you need anything from me?” Iwaizumi asked sweetly. He let a small, flirty smile his face and looked up with hooded eyes. He felt himself biting his lip, making Oikawa move his eyes over Iwaizumi's mouth and then back up to his eyes. 

Iwaizumi saw Oikawa swallow and then try to speak. He stuttered instead. Iwaizumi had won. What exactly he had won he didn’t know, but he had made Oikawa’s charismatic act stop in its tracks. It felt good. “I, um, I need to make a party. I mean. A speech. A speech for the party.” They both knew that that wasn’t the real reason Oikawa had come up here but Iwaizumi let it slide. 

“Fine. I’ll set it up for you upstairs so everyone can see you.”

“Thank you Hajime.” The way those lips said his name did things to Iwaizumi.

When Oikawa walked away Noya moved towards Iwiazumi. “Dude, that man needs someone to keep him in check. He can’t go running around flirting with our Hajime like that. You okay boss?”

Iwaizumi had been watching Oikawa walk away this whole time and had barely paid attention to Noya and Asahi. “Huh? Yeah I’m good. I’m fine.”

\--

“First off, I’d like to thank everyone for having taken the time to spend this weekend with me. It means a lot to me that all of my friends and coworkers are here to help me celebrate my newest film…”

Iwaizumi stopped listening, it was the usual speech anyone would give to thank people for coming to their party. He had heard similar speeches so many times over the years that he knew exactly what Oikawa would say next. Not even Oikawa's sweet voice would keep him from walking away. 

He wandered away from the crowd and towards the kitchen doors. Three shapes were standing near the doors, one of them was very clearly peeking through the windows and into the kitchens. Iwaizumi saw Kuroo notice his approach and quickly turn around to warn the person looking into the kitchen. He saw a silver head shoo Kuroo away. It seemed Bokuto was still trying to get Akaashi’s attention.

Akaashi still had no clue who the silver-haired man was. Yesterday Akaashi had told Iwaizumi that one of the customers had handed him a single flower and recited a very bad love poem. Apparently Akaashi had felt bad for the man and taken the flower. The man hadn’t said a single word and just ran out of the kitchen when Tanaka saw someone disturbing his coworkers and began walking over with a knife in his hand. ‘I’ll throw it away later’ Akaashi had said, but Iwaizumi saw the usual hardened look in the man’s eyes softening and knew the flower wasn’t gonna go anywhere anytime soon.

“Bokuto, your crush isn’t in there today. He’s upstairs working in the VIP section,” Iwaizumi said with a pat on the poor man’s shoulder. 

Bokuto whipped his head around. “Get me upstairs manager-kun,” Bokuto got on his hands and knees and pleaded to Iwaizumi, “I’ll get you a free drink or sneak some food from the kitchen.” Such useless offers. Kuroo stood behind him whispering comforting words. Iwaizumi had known him for three days and already knew how much Bokuto enjoyed being dramatic. 

Iwaizumi suddenly had an idea. A wonderful idea. “I can’t let you guys in but that guy over there will, if you beg hard enough.” He pointed to Tsukishima. 

Tuskki looked over at them when Bokuto let out a scream of joy. “Thank you manager man!”

Bokuto sprinted towards Tsukki who looked down at him in disgust. Iwaizumi watch them exchange words and then Bokuto pointed at Iwaizumi. Tsukki looked up and a n evil smile lit his face. He said something to Bokuto and pointed him up the stairs. “I fucked up.” Iwaizumi said to no one in particular.

“Hajime, Tsukki is gonna let Bokuto up there just to get back at you. Should’ve sent our love-struck friend to Hinata,” Kuroo laughed at Iwaizumi and walked off to find Kenma. Meanwhile, Bokuto climbed the stairs three at a time and almost tripped as he ran around, searching for the poor sous-chef. 

\--

The last night went by way too fast. Iwaizumi was finally starting to enjoy himself. But it was finally over, the hell weekend was gone. Iwaizumi would never have to see Oikawa Tooru’s beautiful face ever again. Why wasn’t he as relieved as he should’ve been?

All the guests left earlier on Sunday, murmuring to each other about having to go to work early the next morning. It seemed even famous people had to keep schedules, who knew. The Dateko team left soon afterwards, Iwaizumi thanked them for their help. Hinata was very emotional and didn’t want his new friend Aone to go away. Suga had to coax the small man away with promises of food in order to let Aone escape. 

Oikawa Tooru, being the model of perfection, was standing by the door and saying goodbye to every guest as they walked out. Hinata was almost jumping of joy because he was standing next to the Great King. Iwaizumi didn’t understand the kid. He was clearly good friends with Yachi and Kageyama, yet he still got excited about being near other celebrities. 

When everyone was gone Iwaizumi watched Oikawa say something to Kindaichi. His manager glanced over at Iwaizumi and then headed outside. Oikawa slowly made his way across the room to where Iwaizumi stood. He looked very pleased about something. 

“What can I help you with sir?” Iwaizumi asked with a pleasant voice.

“I just wanted to thank you,” Oikawa’s voice was silky, it pissed Iwaizumi off how much he wanted to make that pleasant voice disappear. To get rid of the fakeness in the voice and finally hear the real Oikawa speak. “This was my first premiere party and it was so much better than I would’ve thought it’d be. Thanks to your team of course.” 

“It’s my job, imagine how bad I’d look if I wasn’t good at it,” Iwaizumi answered, “but I’m glad you enjoyed it as much as I did.”

Oikawa walked forwards and pulled the other man into a hug. Why was this happening. Iwaizumi felt his chin resting on the other’s shoulder, his mouth unnecessarily close to Oikawa’s neck. “Thank you, Iwa-chan. I’ll see you later.”

Iwaizumi answered back automatically, “see you later.” He watched as Oikawa skipped out the door, following Kindaichi to his car.

“Did you really just say ‘see you later’ to Oikawa Tooru?”

“Did Oikawa Tooru just call you Iwa-chan?”

“Did the king just hug you?”

Iwaizumi turned around to face Daichi, Suga, and Asahi. They had these looks in their eyes, as if they knew more than they were letting on. “What is with all of you messing around with my-” Iwaizumi stopped himself. Had he really been about to say ‘sex life’? When had Oikawa Tooru ever been defined as a member of his sex life? They had only just met. 

“I’m sorry did you just say Oikawa Tooru was a part of your sex life?” Iwaizumi saw Nishinoya smirk and high five Asahi. 

“Please just shut up…” 

“It seems to me that our Iwa-chan has a little crush,” Suga said in the sweetest possible tone. 

Iwiazumi shot daggers at Suga, “I don’t okay? I hate that man and his ridiculous requests. Suga you’re the best goddamn person I know but if you keep this up I won’t tell everyone else the good news…” Suga zipped his lips and smiled. 

“Ooooh,” Nishinoya silenced everyone with his hands, “guys the boss has an announcement.”

Iwaizumi looked around and found himself surrounded by the people he had come to call his friends. “I wanted to say thank you. Every single one of you worked your butt off this weekend. WIthout you guys Seijoh would still be an unachievable dream,” Iwaizumi glanced over at Noya, Hinata, and Tanaka. The three men were tearing up. “So, to show my gratitude, I’m closing the club for the next week.” Murmurs rose from the crowd of employees. “Please don’t worry, there will be no pay deducted from your salary. You should all thank Daichi and Suga. They’re technically the ones that figured--” 

“No no, there is no need to mention us Iwaizumi. We were just doing what you’d told us to,” Daichi spoke up, not giving Iwaizumi the chance to thank his life-saving friends. Suddenly everyone was clapping and hooting, overjoyed at this unexpected break. 

“Go home, have fun, come back in a week,” Iwaizumi said and dismissed everyone. 

Daichi and Suga stayed behind, waiting to talk to him. “Hey Iwa, good job.” Those few words from Daichi meant the world to Iwaizumi. 

“Thank you,” he smiled at his friends. It was times like this that he was very grateful for having them in his life. 

\--

Iwaizumi spent his whole free week laying around his apartment. He took some time to finally clean everything, not having the excuse that he was ‘too tired’. He vacumned the carpets and sofa, washed his sheets, did a lot more laundry than he wanted to admit. All this took him about a day. 

On the bright side, his sleep schedule was back to what everyone else considered “normal”. He had to go running when the sun was rising and the streets were empty. Now restaurants were actually open when he got hungry. He finally met his neighbor after not having met the lady after she moved in a few months ago. 

He watched a lot of TV. Which was a bad choice. Oikawa Tooru was _everywhere._ That fucking face showed up every three seconds. An advertisement for toothpaste? Oikawa’s smile. A sports ad? Oikawa’s ridiculous body. Wanna buy some glasses? Oikawa wears these glasses, buy these glasses. 

Why the hell was Iwaizumi so frustrated? He’d seen the dude for a grand total of three days. The dude had given him a shhitload of money, that he’d probably gotten because of all those commercials, and rented out the club for a party. Sure the man had flirted with him. The very attractive man whose voice and eyes and face and _everything_ screamed out sex. But Iwaizumi didn’t care about the man. He was probably just bored. Oikawa Tooru had nothing to do with it. He should probably stop watching TV though. 

Saturday was his last day of boredom. The fact that he was excited at the thought of going back to sit in his office all night was kinda sad. He couldn’t wait to get back to work, there was so much he still had to do. Right when he was about to make a nice dinner, at a normal time, his phone started ringing. 

“Why,” Iwaizumi picked up the phone and checked who was calling. It was Kuroo. “Yes?” Iwaizumi answered and plopped down on the couch.

“Yoooo!!!” Kuroo screamed. Iwaizumi pulled his phone away but not fast his enough. He could feel his ear ringing.

“Is there any reason you are trying to deafen me via phone call?” 

Before Kuroo could answer someone took the phone away. Iwaizumi heard Kuroo complain and then Kenma’s calming voice filled the speaker, “we’re coming to get you soon. A few of us are going out to this new club and we thought you’d want to join.” 

Kenma didn’t ask Iwaizumi if he wanted to go, he made it a statement. Now Iwaizumi couldn’t say no. “Okay fine, gimme like, 10 minutes...” 

“Okay, see you soon,” Kenma said. In the background Iwaizumi heard Kuroo ask Kenma something but the phone call ended before Iwaizumi could say anything else. 

Iwaizumi got off the couch and went to get dressed, there was no way he was gonna be seen out in the world looking like this. 

\--

“What is this place?” Iwaizumi looked around in wonder. Kuroo and Kenma had picked him up and then driven him to the newest club in town. They had just gotten through the doors and it was… strange. There was something captivating about the way the lights made the floor shimmer. The walls were white and covered in mirrors. In fact, everything was shiny and white. The employees wore white, the glasses were white. White. White. White. It all looked so pure and so well put-together. Iwaizumi couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous. 

“Welcome to club Shiratorizawa. I know it’s a mouthful but hey, no complaining. This place is _the_ place to be,” Kuroo was as enthusiastic as always, “Kenma doesn't like coming here because it’s too loud all the time but tonight he sacrificed himself for you. So get out there and have some fun Iwa. Meet some people, go home with someone…”

Wait a minute. Was it possible? “Kuroo,” Iwaizumi stopped walking and turned his gaze towards the taller man. “Did Suga force you to bring me here so I could get laid?”

Kuroo’s eyes said it all, “well… more like… suggested it. Plus it worked didn’t it? We got you to leave the house!” Iwaizumi sighed, Suga and Daichi were gonna be the death of him. There was no reason for leaving now, he was already out. May as well have some fun with his… friends.

Kenma tugged on the sleeve of his shirt, “please stay.” Iwaizumi couldn’t say no to Kenma when he was looking up at him with those big eyes. 

“Fine. For you Kenma, that’s the only reason I’m staying. Not here to flirt with anyone,” Kuroo grunted, Iwaizumi guessed it was a sign of agreement. He looked around but was unable to find the bar, “drinks?” 

Kuroo grinned at him, “dude, that’s the best part. Come with me.” Kuroo started walking through the crowd of people and Iwaizumi hurried to follow him. The place was so packed that if he didn’t keep his eyes on Kuroo’s messy bed head he’d be completely lost. 

Kenma was trailing behind them, playing some game on his phone. Had Kenma really placed himself in an uncomfortable setting just for Iwaizumi? “Thank you Kenma,” Iwaizumi said. 

The short one didn’t look up at him but caught a glimpse of a small smile, “anything for a friend.”

“BRO!” Kuroo screamed up ahead. There was only one person Kuroo would be screaming at who would willingly yell back. 

“Bokuto works here doesn’t he?” Kenma nodded. They walked toward the two friends. The bar was ridiculously long, spanning the length of the entire back wall. Over twenty people were working behind the bar, handing out food and drinks as they were ordered. 

“He keeps giving us free drinks and gets in trouble with his boss,” Kenma explained to him. Bokuto was indeed working behind the bar. His white uniform matched his silver hair. His eyes were twinkling, probably because of the moving lights that hung from the ceiling. When Bokuto saw Iwaizumi he beckoned him over. 

Iwaizumi warily walked towards him. “Manager man! You get free drinks all night because guess what?!? I got the beautiful chef’s phone number!” Bokuto held out a shot. “Please let me give you my many thanks, I wouldn’t have been able to talk to him without your help.” Akaashi had given this dude his phone number? He’d have to ask Tanaka about that. Iwaizumi knew he wouldn’t get the man off his back unless he agreed, plus Iwaizumi had never been one to deny free things. He took the small glass from Bokuto’s hand, earning cheers from Kuroo and Bokuto. 

They all stood by the bar, chatting with Bokuto as he worked. Every now and then Bokuto would slide a drink over to Iwaizumi who would then hand it over to Kuroo. He had to go back to work tomorrow and didn’t need to wake up with a terrible headache. Kuroo seemed very happy about the outturn of events that night. Kenma was happily playing games and Iwaizumi was glad Kenma wasn’t feeling too uncomfortable about this whole situation. A few people had come up to try and flirt with him but Iwaizumi really didn’t want to handle them tonight. He sent them off with one free drink, courtesy of Bokuto. 

It all went to shit when some shouting came to the right of where they were standing. Iwaizumi glanced over to see what was happening. A very angry man was shouting at someone who was standing at the bar. Iwaizumi leaned backwards to check who it was and almost fell over. The messy hair, those smiling eyes. Thankfully Kuroo grabbed his arm at the last second. “Woah man, what’s wro…” Kuroo saw who was standing at the bar, “isn’t that Okaiwa? Oiwaka?”

Iwaizumi didn’t answer. He moved closer to the argument and was watching the scene unfold before him. Oikawa was calmly talking to the man. The man’s face was red and the veins on his neck were clearly visible. He was very mad about something Oikawa related. As he scanned the faces around Oikawa he saw a pointy head and then a very terrified set of eyes. Why was Kindaichi here? Knowing how dependent the actor was on Kindaichi probably meant that Oikawa dragged that kid around everywhere he went. Including nightclubs. Kindaichi saw Iwaizumi watching them and widened his eyes. It was a silent plea for help. Kindaichi probably had no idea how to handle this situation. 

Suddenly the man screamed and moved towards Oikawa with his fist raised. 

Everything slowed down. Iwaizumi saw fear flash across Oikawa’s eyes. He probably had no clue how to fight but hopefully he had fast enough reflexes to not get punched. Iwaizumi couldn’t just stand here and let the man who’d given him a nice sum of cash to get beaten up for something that was probably very stupid. He saw Oikawa dodge the incoming punch but then another punch hit his ribs. Oikawa doubled over, catching his breath. Bad idea. The man moved to throw in another punch.

Fuck. Iwaizumi began making his way through the people that had surrounded the fight. He had no time to think things through. He jumped in front of the incoming fist and felt it collide with his face. There was a sickening crunch and he fell over. 

There was a lot of yelling around him. He caught sight of a very pissed off Kuroo grabbing the man and putting him in a chokehold. Kuroo was yelling something to Bokuto who was standing behind the bar. Suddenly security guards showed up and carried the man away as he screamed out insults at Oikawa. Iwaizumi was laying on the floor, watching this all unfold from a distance.

Iwaizumi got up and felt warmth running down his nose. That bastard had broken his fucking nose. “Are you okay?” Kuroo suddenly appeared holding a bag full of ice and towels. His face was completely serious and filled with worry.

“Can you fix it?” Iwaizumi knew Kuroo had been an athlete and would probably be able to do this for him. He took the towel and used it to clean up his bloody face. 

Kuroo nodded, “it’s gonna hurt like hell though,” he gingerly placed his hands over Iwaizumi’s nose. “Take deep breaths.” Kuroo quickly moved his hand straight down Iwaizumi’s nose.

“ _FUCK_.” The world spun around Iwaizumi for a few minutes. Kuroo held the ice onto Iwaizumi’s nose until he was able to hold it up on his own. Kenma walked up to them and silently held out some pills. Iwaizumi swallowed them dry. After a few minutes he was able to stand back up. Oikawa was nowhere in sight. “I’m gonna go outside, don’t wait up for me.”

They let him go.

Iwaizumi asked Bokuto to point him to the nearest door. Bokuto said he could go through the employee's door and use their outdoors break area. The bartender gave him another shot which he gratefully drank down. He made his way back there, dumping the ice bag into a trash bag as he left the building.

It was cooler outside than he thought it’d be. He had nothing but a light jacket on him. Iwaizumi pulled out the box of cigarettes he’d brought with him and thanked his past self for having picked them up before leaving the apartment. He took in a deep breath, feeling the burn in his lungs. 

He’d been stupid. He had jumped in to save someone who was practically a stranger to him. There were zero reasons he could think of for having let himself get hurt back there. Sure his heart had begun beating faster when he saw the fear in Oikawa’s eyes. But that was no reason to help the man. It was all so fucking stupid. Iwaizumi stood there, letting the flurry of thoughts bounce around in his mind. Why Oikawa? The man had been anything but nice to him. He’d never shown anything but selfish gratefulness towards Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi was too deep in his mind to notice the door click open behind him.

“Thank you,” a deep voice said behind him.

He couldn’t believe it. He lifted the cigarette away from his mouth and turned to face Oikawa Tooru. The Great King. “I get my fucking nose broken trying to save your helpless ass and all you can say is ‘thank you’?” Damn he was mad. 

Oikawa looked at him. Iwaizumi realized he was talking to the man now, not the celebrity he pretended to be. “You say that as if you had no choice and _had_ to save my helpless ass. You would’ve been perfectly fine if you had watched me getting beaten up, so don’t go around acting as if you didn’t have a fucking choice.”

“Fine. At least tell me why I’m gonna wake up with a bruise tomorrow.”

Oikawa ran his hands through his perfect hair and smiled his perfect smile, “I tried to flirt with the dude’s girl and he got pissed. I’m sorry your face got hurt, it really is too pretty to get hurt.”

Iwaizumi sighed. Why the hell was Oikawa so happy about almost being punched into a pulp? You know what, he didn’t need to know. He pretended that Oikawa calling his face pretty didn’t make his heart beat twenty times faster. Iwaizumi was perfectly content letting Oikawa stand there in the cold as he finished his smoke. Oikawa cleared his throat, “smoking is bad Iwa-chan…”

“Shut up you ass,” Iwaizumi shot Oikawa the middle finger. Oikawa raised his hands in defeat and stood where he was, rubbing his hands together for warmth. He opened his mouth a few times to speak up but decided against it. When Iwaizumi pulled out a second cigarette Oikawa groaned in disgust. 

“I can make this up to you Hajime… we could…” Oikawa sounded very nervous. Is this what he was like in the comfort of his home? When all those masks were taken away, is this who the king truly was; someone whose emotions were on display and spoke what was on his mind. 

“No,” Iwaizumi finally said, blowing smoke away from Oikawa. 

“You didn’t even hear what I was gonna say!” was Oikawa mad? Iwaizumi couldn’t help but feel a hint of regret, he really didn’t want to make Oikawa get angry at him.

“Yes,” Iwaizumi looked over at the man that he had just taken a punch for, “I barely know you and I just got punched for something I didn’t do. So take that pretty face of yours and go talk to someone who actually cares.”

Oikawa was dumbstruck. Iwaizumi may have been a bit too harsh on the guy but he really didn’t need the man pestering him any longer. Then he smiled, he really smiled and dimples formed on his cheeks. This man... “Why the hell did you just get all,” Iwaizumi pointed at Oikawa’s face, “smiley.”

“You ‘barely know me’? I guess you actually don’t remember. I knew you were drunk that night but not _that_ drunk. Thought the whole thing back at the bar last week was just to mess with your friends,” Oikawa moved closer to Iwaizumi with every word. Iwaizumi noticed a strand of hair was falling over Oikawa’s eye. He could reach out and fix that. But he wouldn’t. He shouldn’t. He decided to focus instead on what the man had said. Too drunk to remember what? 

“What the fuck are you talking about Oikawa?” 

Oikawa grinned. “Well Hajime, I can say, thanks to personal experience, that _you_ were a fantastic kisser about... six years ago.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaah next chapter will either be  
> Oikawa explaining everything to Iwa OR Oikawa's POV from six years ago on that night ^~^  
> Thank you for reading!!!


	5. Five.

The cigarette fell from his mouth, bounced off his shoes, and fizzled out as it landed on the cold floor. 

Iwaizumi’s mind ran back to six years ago. He’d been twenty back then. Wow Hajime you can do math, good fucking job. Now, where had he been? Oh that’s right, college. Second year actually. No matter how hard he tried Iwaizumi couldn’t remember anything worth mentioning that year. 

Oikawa was still standing there, smiling at him as he puzzled out his words. Six years ago he had kissed this man. Apparently. Iwaizumi couldn't believe it. _I never kissed you. I’d remember if I had._ “Are you fucking with me?” Iwaizumi asked cautiously. 

Oikawa gasped and looked down at him in shock, “I’d never lie about that!”

“Then do you mind telling me exactly how you know about…” He couldn’t bring himself to say it. His face felt warm but he wasn’t embarrassed, it was most definitely from all the drinks he’d had that night. 

Oikawa tilted his head and Iwaizumi let out a short breath, “how I know about what Hajime?” 

So now he was being the cocky asshole Iwaizumi hated. That head tilt was too damn cute for his own good. Iwaizumi wanted to.. _Don’t. Not now. Not ever. _“You don’t know anything about me. You’re just making shit up to...” Iwaizumi waved his hands around, “you just want to mess with me.”__

__The other man sighed and rubbed small circles on his temples. Was he pretending to be patient? “Hajime, why would I ever lie to you about something that important?”_ _

__“I don’t know! If you’re not lying tell me why I don’t remember anything,” Iwaizumi was getting more exasperated by the second. He suddenly wanted nothing more than to chain smoke until he died. It’d be better than having to deal with Oikawa Tooru._ _

__“Tsk, you were really drunk. Cute, but drunk…” Oikawa’s cheeks were pink and he was being brutally honest with Iwaizumi, “I’ve never been able to resist attractive men hitting on me.”_ _

__“But--”_ _

__“I would absolutely love to tell you the story but I’m reaaally cold Iwa-chan, can we go back inside?” Iwaizumi saw that Oikawa hadn’t been wearing anything but his shirt when he came out here, it was specked with blood from everything that had happened earlier. _My blood.__ _

__“There’s no way I’m going back there until you give me a straight answer,” Iwaizumi knew he was being childish but right now it was the only way to deal with Oikawa. If he went back inside Kuroo and Kenma would not leave him alone. Bokuto would probably insist of giving him even more free shit. He really didn’t need that right now._ _

__Oikawa thought about it, “okay, then let’s go to your place.” He suggested it as if it wasn’t a big deal. Which it was. It very much was._ _

__“I’m not letting in a strange man into my own home. You’re practically trying to blackmail your way in. For all I know you could be a murderer or something,” Iwaizumi pointed all this out but none of it seemed to bother Oikawa._ _

__“We both know none of that is true. If you don’t let me go over you’ll never knooow, it’ll just eat up your pretty little brain Hajime.” Oikawa made these adorable hand gestures and pretended to eat up Iwaizumi’s hair. Iwaizumi swatted away the hands and Oikawa stared at him with pouted lips._ _

__He was right. If Iwaizumi didn’t find out tonight he wouldn’t be able to sleep until he figured it all out. He had no choice dammit. Oikawa Tooru would come over to _his_ apartment and sit on his couch and he wouldn’t leave until Iwaizumi knew everything._ _

__“You know you’re a fucking child?” Iwaizumi walked off towards the parking lot. He searched for his keys and then remembered that he hadn’t driven here. He looked back at the actor, “you’ll have to drive.”_ _

__“Oh…” Oikawa stood there awkwardly playing with his hands. “I don’t… know how to drive… Kindaichi takes me everywhere.” Oikawa smiled apologetically._ _

__He _was_ a child. “Then get that turnip head to come and give me the car keys. He can catch a ride with some of my friends.” What was he doing? Now he was taking the man’s car and driving him home. _ _

__Oikawa pulled out his phone and quickly typed up a text. Iwaizumi took the time to look at the man. Oikawa’s plain white shirt fit tightly on his body. Iwaizumi could make out those tall shoulder and those arms. Fuck those arms. He whistled a little upbeat tune as he typed. It was too much to look at. Iwaizumi tried to find a distraction and decided to send a text to Kenma to ask him to take care of Kindaichi. ‘leaving now. find turnip headed man called kindaichi and take him home please. i’ll tell him to look for kuroo.’ Unlike Kuroo the short pudding head would probably handle this with little drama. He got a text back right away. ‘okay’. Trust Kenma to get right to the point._ _

__“Kindaichi!” Oikawa called out. Iwaizumi turned his head and saw the other man walking quickly towards Oikawa.”_ _

__“Tooru, I thought you’d left,” Kindaichi said, letting his voice be filled with relief. “What do you need?”_ _

__“I need the car keys.”_ _

__Kindaichi suspiciously looked at Oikawa, “may I remind you of what happened last time you tried to drive?”_ _

__“Oh no no Kindaichi, you have no need to worry, he’s driving!” Oikawa pointed at Iwaizumi who had been standing a few meters away watching the whole ordeal._ _

__Kindaichi looked back and forth between Iwaizumi and Oikawa. Of course he was confused. Iwaizumi was standing outside of a club wearing a bloody shirt with Oikawa. Would he ask for them to explain? Kindaichi composed himself very quickly. Such a perfect manager. “Can you drive?” He finally asked Iwaizumi._ _

__Iwaizumi nodded. With a sigh Kindaichi took out the car keys and tossed them towards him. Iwaizumi yelled in surprise and dove to catch the keys. “I’m sorry! Are you okay?” Iwaizumi grunted, he hadn’t fallen face first but the sudden movement had made him feel dizzy and he thought he felt a few drops of blood run down his nose. He waved away a worried Kindaichi as he stood back up. He slid the back of his hand across his nose. Yep, blood._ _

__“I’m sorry about taking your car, you can get a ride from my friends. They’re more than willing to take you home, although I’d understand if you didn’t feel comfortable with it.” Iwaizumi told the manager. He’d definitely developed a soft spot for Kindaichi’s ever-worried features. “You can look for a tall dude with hair that looks as if he just woke up and a small kid with a pile of bleached hair.”_ _

__The manager nodded vigorously, “that’d be very much appreciated sir. Thank you thank you... “ Kindaichi headed back in but Iwaizumi saw him shoot a look at Oikawa. “Be careful Tooru.” Oikawa watched him until the club’s back door shut._ _

__“Alriight, now that we have a car can we get back to the… kiss explaining business?” Oikawa shot a smile at Iwaizumi._ _

__Iwaizumi said nothing as he walked away to find the actor’s car._ _

__\---_ _

__It was a Ferrari. Of course. What the hell was he expecting? A mini-van?_ _

__Driving this car felt just as amazing as he would’ve imagined. The car didn’t complain when Iwaizumi pushed down on the accelerator. It zoomed through the empty streets. Iwaizumi had forgotten that he had a passenger until he remembered where he was going. “Why the fuck did you get this if you can’t drive?” Iwaizumi asked, keeping his eyes on the road._ _

__“I’ve always wanted one,” Oikawa said quietly, “I thought if I got one I’d finally learn how to drive.” Oikawa had been unusually silent the whole car ride and the air in the car was heavy with unsaid words. “It was just a pointless dream I had when I was a kid and I thought it’d be nice to make little-me’s wish come true.” Iwaizumi was surprised at the other’s honest tone._ _

__He hummed in response and knew exactly what Oikawa meant. To him Seijoh had been one of those pointless dreams and being able to make it come true had felt… it had felt good. “That’s how I feel about Seijoh.”_ _

__“I know.”_ _

__Again with the knowing. Was Oikawa really telling the truth about knowing him in college? Oikawa must have realized what he had said because he quickly corrected himself. “I meant that I knew from the moment I saw you working the bar. You looked so pleased with everything that was happening.”_ _

__So Oikawa could be nice when he wanted to be. Behind that exterior was someone who genuinely cared and noticed the happiness of others. Iwaizumi glanced over and saw Oikawa staring out the window, completely captured by the sights of the city. Iwaizumi may have let down his guard just a little bit._ _

__\---_ _

__“Oh king, please do enter my humble abode,” Iwaizumi bowed as Oikawa stepped into his small apartment and got smacked across the neck for his antics. “What the hell was that for?!”_ _

__“For calling me a king.” Oikawa said, no hints of laughter in his voice. Had Iwaizumi hit on a touchy subject? Then Oikawa suddenly smiled, “it’s the Great King.”_ _

__“Wow and here I was thinking you were being a decent person for once,” Iwaizumi slid off his shoes and took off his pea coat. “I’m gonna go change.” He left Oikawa in the living room and quickly slipped into his room._ _

__He shut the door behind him and leaned against it. “Fuck fuck fuck,” he said quietly. What was he thinking? Oikawa Tooru was a… he was a millionaire for all Iwaizumi knew. It was obvious he was lying to Iwaizumi but why the hell would he go through all that trouble just to get into Iwaizumi’s house. Iwaizumi ran his hands through his hair as he came to a decision. There was only one way he’d find out the truth._ _

__What did he know about the Great King? He was an actor, a good one apparently. That just meant that he couldn’t be trusted. Someone who lied for a living would probably be good at it outside of their job. Iwaizumi would just have to be careful._ _

__Okay. He could do this. He pushed off the door and started unbuttoning his shirt. Just when he was about to pull it off he heard a crash coming from the kitchen. What had that dumbass done now? Iwaizumi grabbed the shirt he had been planning to put on and walked out of the room, ready to berate Oikawa._ _

__“What the fuck did you--” Iwaizumi found Oikawa on the floor cleaning up the remains of one of his mugs. Oikawa opened his mouth to explain himself but no words came out. Iwaizumi stared down at him, unable to truly feel angry towards the other man. He waited for Oikawa to say something but the man seemed lost for words. Iwaizumi waved his hands in front of the other’s face. “Hello? Earth to Oikawa?”_ _

__Oikawa blinked and realized he’d been quiet this whole time. A light flush appeared on his cheeks as he finally started talking, “I-- I made coffee!” Oikawa flashed a smile, “I thought you’d need some…”_ _

__Iwaizumi raised his eyebrows, “I didn’t know rich people knew how to make drinks.” He watched Oikawa picking up the broken mug with his hands and kneeled down to help the other man._ _

__“I’m sorry,” Iwaizumi looked up to find Oikawa’s dark eyes watching him. Iwaizumi muttered a no problem and stood up to throw away the pieces he held in his hands. Oikawa slid a fresh mug of coffee over to him. Iwaizumi took a sip and hummed as he tasted the bitter coffee-- it seemed Tooru did know how to do _some things._ _ _

__Iwaizumi remembered he still had to change and quickly pulled off his unbuttoned shirt. Behind him Oikawa gasped. _Guess he noticed._ Iwaizumi looked behind him and found Oikawa standing very close to him, reaching out to gently touch his back with cold hands. Iwaizumi shivered at the touch. He didn’t want to stop Oikawa, he really should though..._ _

__“They’re beautiful,” Oikawa whispered as he traced his fingers over the serpents that ran across Iwaizumi’s back. The two black snakes twisted and turned their way up Iwaizumi’s back. He’d gotten them about two years ago when he finally had enough money and a safe job to do so. “What do they mean?”_ _

__“That’s one thing I can’t tell you right now,” Iwaizumi said softly. Oikawa didn’t say more and pulled away, giving Iwaizumi space so he could slip into his shirt._ _

__Iwaizumi remembered why they had come here in the first place and stared down Oikawa. “Sit.” Oikawa followed his directions with no complaints. Why did it feel so good to boss Oikawa around? “Tell me. _Everything,_ ” he emphasized. _ _

__Oikawa ran his hands through his hair, messing up the styled locks. Now he looked adorable with his messy bed head and tired eyes. Dammit. Iwaizumi watched him, waiting to hear things he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear._ _

__“Okay. I’ll start from the beginning--” Iwaizumi leaned forwards, ready to find out what the hell he had done with this man._ _

__“It was my birthday party actually, It was this huge thing, people from all over the place showed up. I didn’t know most of them but I didn’t mind anyways, I’ve always likes people yknow. So anyways, there’s this huge party and I’m having a good time, there are drinks everywhere, music, guys, girls… So I’m walking around my house and I see your fucking face. You looked miserable, like a little kid being forced to visit their weird uncle’s house. I hated seeing someone like that at _my_ birthday party, so I sent my friend to get a few drinks into you, loosen you up and everything. I’d told him to go over and help you out but he decided to turn it all into this huge drinking competition.” Oikawa laughed at the memories. Iwaizumi saw his eyes weren’t really there, he was looking far off, remembering that day._ _

__“Don’t know if you remember him but dude, you kicked his ass. In the end Kyoutani was bowing to you as if you were some sort of fucking king. You looked like you were having a lot more fun so I went up to say hi and oh man. You were so _gone_ but so… so much more at the same time…” Oikawa stopped talking and blushed when he met Iwaizumi’s eyes. _ _

__“Wait,” Iwaizumi interrupted Oikawa’s storytelling which Oikawa didn’t appreciate very much, “how come you remember all this and I don’t remember a single thing?”_ _

__“I don’t drink.” Oikawa had answers to everything, maybe Iwaizumi _had_ misjudged the man and he was smarter than he seemed to be. “Anyways, the next part is… Interesting… So I got up thinking I’ll introduce myself. I told myself ‘sure I’ll talk to him for a few minutes’ but then minutes went to hours and then it was pretty late and everyone was passed out or having sex in the rooms upstairs and the atmosphere in that house was fucking hot and when you leaned over to kiss me I didn’t stop you. Thank god I didn’t stop you because holy hell Hajime. The kiss was like…” _ _

__Oikawa flapped his hands around, unable to put his feelings into words, “you kissed me as if we were the last two people on earth and it was the last kiss you would ever have in your life and fuck… It was hot and messy and I ended up dragging you upstairs to my room and shirts were taken off and we were making out on the bed. And then.” Oikawa paused, probably trying to add drama to the story. Iwaizumi rolled his eyes but couldn’t help but be pleased by the way Oikawa’s face was burning up as he told this “story”._ _

__“You know you’re a fucking jerk for doing this. You fell asleep on me. Like, I was on top of you and it was all going great and then you just, pass out. So obviously I’m pissed but like the good person I am I go down to get the two people I thought I saw you come in with and they drag you away because those two have probably been through everything with you. You left me thinking that I was a bad kisser or something… Never saw you again after that.” Oikawa didn’t sound too happy about that._ _

__“That is until I saw you at the club behind the bar and I was like ‘holy shit that’s that guy from six years ago who kissed me and then passed out on me’ and then I figured out you were the owner and yeah.. you know the rest…” Oikawa stopped talking and watched Iwaizumi carefully, gauging his reaction to the words._ _

__Iwaizumi couldn’t lie to himself. Everything Oikawa had told him turned him on. He spoke with frustration and emotion and holy fucking hell Iwaizumi was turned on. “I don’t believe you,” Iwaizumi said stubbornly. _But I want to.__ _

__“Oh, believe me, I know,” Oikawa said, “I’m pretty sure if you asked those friends of yours they’d confirm everything I said. There was a brunette, he seemed like the kind of guy who would be good at anything he did. I’m pretty sure the other one had this fantastic silver hair.”_ _

__Daichi and Suga. Iwaizumi pulled out his phone and almost dropped it in the rush he was in. He tapped his feet on the carpet, waiting impatiently. When Daichi finally answered the phone he sounded worried and half-asleep. “Hajime… It’s three in the morning… Is something wrong?”_ _

__Was it really three in the morning? Iwaizumi hadn’t even thought about the time. “Fuck, I’m sorry. I just really needed to know if you remember…” Iwaizumi trailed off as he saw Oikawa’s eyes staring at him as he talked._ _

__“Hajime?” Daichi sounded overly worried, Iwaizumi heard him shuffle around in his bed._ _

__“Sorry. I uh, I need to know if you remember anything about… Oikawa.”_ _

__Daichi took in a deep breath and put his phone down, whispering to someone that was in the room with him. When he spoke Iwaizumi could visualize a smile settling across Daichi’s face, “oh is that so? Why the sudden interest in Tooru?” Iwaizumi rolled his eyes and did his best to ignore Oikawa’s stare._ _

__Of course Daichi was gonna mess with him but he really didn’t have time to deal with this right now. ”Daichi. I have Oikawa sitting on my couch and he just told me some things that sound pretty damn ridiculous. So if you could please be a good friend and tell me if I’m being lied to?” Someone behind Daichi tried to unsuccessfully hide their laughter. _I know that laugh._ “Hey Suga, how are you on this fine night?” The man gasped and Iwaizumi heard him reaching for the phone._ _

__Suga fumbled around and finally put it up to his ear, “hey boss! What do you need to know” The cheeky bastard wasn’t gonna give him a straight answer either. Iwaizumi walked over to the sliding doors and stepped out onto his balcony. He shut the door before Oikawa could follow him outside, leaving Oikawa staring at him like a lost puppy. He shooed away Oikawa and watched him walk away into the kitchen. _Nice ass…_ The air was cold against his bare skin since he was only wearing a tshirt and light pants. Iwaizumi could make out the sky full of stars and the bright moon glowing down on the city. _ _

__“Suga did I make out with Oikawa Tooru six years ago at his birthday party and then proceed to pass out on him?” He let it all out in breath but still felt embarrassed talking about it. Alone, Suga would probably handle this as inconspicuously as possible but with Daichi there Iwaizumi didn’t know what to expect._ _

__“Hajime, all I remember is having to pretty much carry you out of Oikawa’s room. He came to find us and seemed very worried about you. We thought you’d just passed out on this dude’s bed not shoved your tongue into his mouth…” Suga sighed, “honestly I was surprised you were acting so nonchalant about Oikawa renting out the club. It never crossed my mind that you didn’t actually remember him…”_ _

__“Don’t forget to tell him about all his hickeys!” Daichi said from somewhere behind Suga. Iwaizumi’s face began feeling uncomfortably warm against the crisp winter air._ _

__His stomach felt uncomfortable. Iwaizumi swallowed, “what hickeys?”_ _

__“Oh um, when we went to pick you up off of Oikawa’s bed, you had hickeys all over your neck. Then we checked Oikawa and he had… a lot more on his neck… Iwa why is Oikawa Tooru in your house?”_ _

__Fuck. Oikawa wasn’t lying. Iwaizumi ignored Suga’s question and walked back inside, hanging up the phone on Suga and Daichi trying to talk to him at once. He sat in the middle of the couch and looked up at the ceiling._ _

__There was a lot of clinking coming from the kitchen but Iwaizumi didn’t trust his stomach enough to go check out what was happening. Oikawa could break all his plates and he still wouldn’t get up to say anything to him._ _

__He’d kissed Oikawa. Iwaizumi had kissed that gorgeous man and he couldn’t remember. How _awful_ was that? There really was no point in hiding his attraction to Oikawa. He’d obviously been attracted to the man six years ago and that hadn’t really changed. What he could do though, he _could_ lie to Oikawa about his feelings. Oikawa probably wasn’t interested anymore anyways, he was famous now. He was the sexiest man in the world for hell’s sake. The Great King could definitely find someone better than him. _ _

__Okay. Iwaizumi was okay now. He was okay until he picked up a mouthwatering smell coming from his kitchen. He walked towards the kitchen in a trance. Oikawa was humming to a random tune as he finished serving whatever concoction he’d made into two bowls. When he saw Iwaizumi standing there Oikawa smiled shyly and handed him one of the bowl._ _

__“I can’t really cook but I can make a mean ramen,” Oikawa sat down as if he was right at home and started slurping up the noodles. When he saw Iwaizumi wasn’t eating he gave him a worried look. “What’s wrong Iwa-chan?” There he was again. Innocent, worried, childish Oikawa. Iwaizumi liked him better that way._ _

__“Nothing,” Iwaizumi murmured. He picked up his food and began eating it. The first bite made him moan in appreciation. The flavors mixed into one another and perfectly complemented each other. Oikawa was right, he could make some damn good ramen._ _

__Oikawa coughed and continued the conversation, “so did lover boys convince you?” His voice had gotten soft again, just like it had been on the car ride over. He’d dropped the cockiness and all those flashy smiles. Now he just sounded genuinely interested._ _

__“Yes,” Iwaizumi hadn’t meant to sound so harsh so he quickly added “but that’s all I’m saying about it.” That was all the confirmation Oikawa needed. He smiled and slurped up a noodle which flipped up and hit his eye. Iwaizumi snorted at this which earned him a glare from Oikawa. “You gotta go home now though, unlike you I actually have to work tomorrow.”_ _

__Oikawa held up a slender finger to stop Iwaizumi from talking. “I cannot drive.”_ _

__“Then take a fucking cab home like a normal person,” Iwaizumi said in frustration but realized that Oikawa couldn’t just leave his car parked outside the apartment building. Yet another problem._ _

__Oikawa knit his eyebrows together, “Kindaichi told me not to because I’m ‘too recognizable’.”_ _

__Of course. Iwaizumi had forgotten about the man’s superstar status. Making Oikawa go off by himself would be a terrible idea. Iwaizumi didn’t know if someone would recognize Oikawa as he went home. But then again it was three in the morning. The whole world was asleep right now._ _

__“I’ll drive you and then take a cab back.” Oikawa jumped off the chair with way too much energy and grabbed the car keys off the countertop._ _

__“Lets go,” Oikawa pulled on Iwaizumi’s shirt and almost dragged him off the chair. Iwaizumi stumbled off and pushed Oikawa’s hands off of him._ _

__“Yeah, lets go.”_ _

__\--_ _

__“Hey Hajime,” Oikawa broke the uncomfortable silence that had been building up from the moment they had gotten into the car. Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow, not taking his eyes off the road. “Wanna go grab lunch with me next Saturday?”_ _

__Iwaizumi’s heart began beating faster. “No.” _Yes._ He wanted nothing more than to hang out with the man but he wouldn’t be able to since he worked odd hours at the club. _ _

__Oikawa sighed sadly but thankfully didn’t push for another answer. “Take a right on the next street,” he said softly._ _

__Iwaizumi let Oikawa guide him through the city streets. They ended up in front of a tall apartment complex. “Let me guess, top floor?” Iwaizumi asked Oikawa._ _

__“It’s really nice top floor…” Iwaizumi chuckled at Oikawa’s embarrassed expression._ _

__They both got out of the car. Iwaizumi was planning on standing outside until his cab got there but Oikawa had other ideas. “You should come wait upstairs Hajime. I don’t want you to get cold.” Oikawa was standing with his hands in his pockets, moving back and forth on the balls of his feet._ _

__“I’m fine Oikawa,” he really was, he’d made sure to grab his warmest jacket before leaving his apartment. Oikawa didn’t head inside but stubbornly waited outside with Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi could see Oikawa’s breath fogging up when exhaled. The man’s ears were red with the cold and he was shaking slightly. “Go inside you’re not dressed warm enough.”_ _

__“I can wait with you.” Oikawa said it so seriously that Iwaizumi didn’t try to convince the man to do otherwise. Iwaizumi took off his jacket and threw it at Oikawa who dropped it in surprise. “Iwa-chan you’ll get cold,” Oikawa complained but stopped talking when he saw the look Iwaizumi shot at him.  
“Unlike _someone_ I am an adult who doesn’t leave the house without a coat,” Iwaizumi said, “now put that on before your ears fall off.” _ _

__Oikawa carefully slid on the jacket, it was a bit small since he was taller than Iwaizumi. “Thank you,” Oikawa said as he wrapped his hands around his body to try and warm up._ _

__They waited a few more minutes until Iwaizumi’s cab got there. When Oikawa tried to hand back the jacket Iwaizumi shook his head and walked away, leaving a very confused Oikawa behind. Iwaizumi thought he heard a soft goodnight coming from behind him. It made him feel better than he wanted to admit._ _

__The cab ride was quiet._ _

__It gave Iwaizumi _too_ much time to think._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaand there it is  
> kinda  
> of course more happened than Oikawa let Iwa know because deep inside he's embarrassed about all this   
> poor Iwa is still in denial about it all though...  
> thank you so muuuch for reading!


	6. Six.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU so much for all the kudos! 
> 
> I wrote a small sid-fic from Oikawa's POV about _that_ night. Go read it [Here!](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6163153)

When he got to Seijoh, Iwaizumi was greeted by a bouncy orange head holding up a phone screen. 

“Hinata I can’t read if you’re moving around so much,” Iwaizumi pointed out. Hinata stopped jumping and handed the phone to him with wide eyes. 

Iwaizumi looked down and began reading the article titled ‘Who Saved Our King?’ What the… 

‘The beloved actor Oikawa Tooru was almost knocked down in a fight at Club Shiratorizawa last night but a knight in shining armor came to the rescue. An eye-witness by the name Kuroo Tetsurou claims that ‘the man just appeared out of nowhere and took a hit’ for the Great King. ‘It was the most heroic thing I’ve ever seen,’ said Bokuto Koutarou, a bartender who was working at the club when the event took place. 

Now all that we’re left with is the question of who is this mysterious knight that saved our king?’ 

Fucking hell, he couldn’t do one good thing without it turning into a big _thing_. All he had done was save a poor dumbass who was too stupid to see that he was gonna get badly beaten up for his stupid behaviour. And of course, dream team bros took it as a chance to get an interview for this pretty well-known newspaper. 

“Hinata why did you give me this?” Hinata was looking up at him with wide eyes.

“I know this is you, your nose is all purple,” Hinata winked at him, “I won’t tell anyone though, It’ll be our little secret.”

\--

He really didn’t want to see Suga. Suga knew too much now. He’d always known too much but that wasn’t the point. He would quickly piece together Iwaizumi’s bruised face with the ‘knight’ article. Was there a way to get up to his office without passing by Suga’s desk? He didn’t think so. 

Iwaizumi sneaked up the stairs but was unsuccessful. Suga was already looking in his direction before he even stepped up the last step. 

“Hajime Iwaizumi.” That was bad. Suga never used his full name. “Your nose is a mess, come here.” Iwaizumi sighed and walked over to Suga’s dask. Suga made him sit down on the chair while he lightly touched the swollen nose. 

Suga’s eyebrows were furrowed in concentration as he placed some sort of bad smelling ointment around Iwaizumi’s bruises. “Iwa,” Suga sounded overly worried, “you need to be more careful. You could’ve gotten seriously hurt.” 

Iwaizumi grabbed Suga’s hands in his. He looked up at Suga, “Suga, I didn’t know he’d successfully punch my face. I could’ve easily beaten him at whatever but he’s the one that threw the punch, not me.” Iwaizumi was glad that Suga’s eyes had softened up a bit. 

“I just don’t understand, why would you take a hit for a dude that you swore was your mortal enemy just a few weeks ago?” 

“I wasn’t thinking correctly,” Iwaizumi didn’t sound like he was convinced. Not one bit. Suga gave him a look of disbelief. 

“And why did you take your ‘enemy’,” Suga made air quotes with his fingers, “home?”

“Did you lie to me Suga?” Iwaizumi needed to know if it had all been true. “Are you and… Oikawa plotting against me?”

 

“Iwa! I would never lie to you. Of course what I told you was true, who do you think carried your drunk ass out of that house?” 

“That would be me,” Daichi said as he walked in. He dropped the magazine he’d been reading in front of Iwaizumi. “You need to see this Hajime.” 

The headline simply read “Seijoh”. Iwaizumi gasped and flipped to the page of the article. It was too good to be true. The article was all about the club and the party it had hosted. It was full of praise for the staff, the food, the locale. Iwaizumi smiled and was overwhelmed with emotions. What should he feel? Pride? Joy? He wanted to cry. This was all he’d ever worked towards. He was holding his dream in his hands. It was all coming together. 

Daichi tapped Iwaizumi’s shoulders and opened his arms. Iwaizumi wasted no time walking around the desk and falling into his best friend’s arms. The two men hugged each other tightly. Iwaizumi felt a few tears fall down his cheeks. Daichi patted his back as Iwaizumi processed what this meant for his future. 

“I’m so proud of you Hajime,” Daichi gave Iwaizumi one last squeeze and let go of him. 

Iwaizumi cleared his throat, “thank you so much Daichi, thank you.” Daichi and Suga smiled at him. _They look like proud parents…_

Daichi guided Iwaizumi to the chair he’d just emptied. “Now Iwaizumi, you need to tell us what happened last night.” Iwaizumi sighed, he wouldn’t be able to get away from it. He nodded and began retelling the scene that had been replaying in his mind ever since he had gotten into that cab.

\---

“You left him your jacket?” Daichi sounded extremely entertained by that small detail. “You _do_ know that’s pretty much an invitation for him to ask to see you again right?” 

Suga picked up his phone and began talking in a bad imitation of Oikawa’s voice, “oh Iwa-chan I have your coat. Please oh please tell me when I can give it back!” Suga gave a wink to Iwaizumi.

Okay so maybe Iwaizumi had thought about that possibility. Maybe he’d done that on purpose. Or maybe he was just trying to be a decent human being. “So?” Suga and Daichi threw their heads back and laughed. They laughed at _him_. Iwaizumi’s face reddened. “Fuck the two of you, I’m gonna go eat something with Tanaka.” 

Suga’s soft hand stopped Iwaizumi. “Iwa, why don’t you give the guy a chance?” 

Iwaizumi looked at Sugawara in bewilderment, “because he can do better than me. He’ll probably just get tired of my shitty work schedule and it’ll all end up like every other relationship I’ve been in.” 

Suga shook his head at every single word that came out of Iwaizumi’s mouth. “Hajime, if he wasn’t interested in you he wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of forcing you to let him into your house. He made you coffee _and_ ramen for god’s sake. If that doesn’t scream interest at you then you’re a dumbass.” Iwaizumi had only seen Suga this determined a few times in the years they’d known each other. 

“Fine, fine. All I can promise is that I won’t be a jerk to Oikawa. Is that good enough for now? Now please, let me go bother my employees for food.”

\---

The kitchen was a complete mess. When Iwaizumi stepped in he almost ran into a worker carrying a load of dishes. The kitchen was _never_ in this state of chaos. Where was Tanaka?

“Iwaizumi!” Akaashi sprinted up to him as he dried his hands off on his apron. He had a wild look in his eyes. “Please help,” he begged. Akaashi picked up some empty plates and motioned for Iwaizumi to follow him.

Okay, something was definitely wrong. Akaashi _never_ panicked. Now the man looked to be on the verge of tears. Iwaizumi followed Akaashi deep into the kitchen. Delicious smells surrounded him, making his mouth water. Pots and pans full of water fizzled everywhere. Workers were busy chopping up vegetables on the counters at cringe-worthy speeds. Their faces were in complete concentration but everyone seemed on edge.

“AHH.”

The scream came from the very back of the kitchen, near the walk-in refrigerators and industrial size dish-washers. Iwaizumi shot a look at Akaashi, “Tanaka?” Akaashi nodded, his lips pulled into thin lines. 

Iwaizumi slowly walked towards the sound of Tanaka’s voice. He found the man laying face down on the kitchen floor, hands and legs spread out so he resembled a starfish. “Heeey buddy, you okay?” 

Tanaka’s made some sort of noise that Iwaizumi guessed was supposed to be speech but it was muffled by the floor. He muttered something else and began beating his fist against the floor. Iwaizumi sighed. Outbursts like this were not uncommon. Last time this had happened because Tanaka had forgotten his phone back home and wasn’t ‘ready to face the night without his trusty electronic sidekick’. 

Iwaizumi kneeled down and moved his hand to rest on his chef’s back. “I can’t hear a word you are saying buddy,” Iwaizumi looked around and saw Tanaka’s assistants looking at him with worry, “can you please get off the kitchen floor? You’re scaring everyone.”

Tanaka shifted slightly, immobilizing one arm underneath his body as he turned to look at Iwaizumi. His eyes were wide and sparkled with fresh tears. Iwaizumi placed a hand on Tanaka’s forehead, checking for any signs of sickness. When he didn’t feel anything off he bent his knees and sat down next to Tanaka. 

“What happened?” 

Tanaka sniffed and blinked his eyes a few times. “Iwaizumi, I forgot…” He scrunched up his nose and shook his head. Akaashi moved his legs around, not sure of what to do with his boss acting like this. 

That was not very helpful. Iwaizumi sighed, he had to be patient with the man. “Forgot what?”

Tanaka tried to say something but instead sank down further into the floor in shame. Iwaizumi was sitting on his ass for this guy. The floor was very cold. Tanaka wailed. “I forgot to get tickets for the thing with Hinata and Noya!” 

“The thing with--” Iwaizumi remembered them asking for this weekend off. But Hinata was here today… “Tanaka. I just said hi to Hinata when I walked in, he gave me shit about my face.” Tanaka shot up and ran out the door before Iwaizumi and Akaashi could react.

Iwaizumi looked over to Akaashi who looked like he was trying very hard to make up his mind about something. He decided to move him along. “Alright, I’ll see you later Akaashi.” Was this going to work? Iwaizumi really didn’t want to have to ask Akaashi what he needed.

“Oh… Um, boss?”

Yes. “Yeah?”

Akaashi fiddled with the buttons on his white jacket. “Is it okay if I come in late tomorrow?” Iwaizumi got the feeling Akaashi was purposefully leaving out some details but didn’t want to push the already bashful man.

“Have you asked Tanaka?” Akaashi nodded. “If he said it was fine then go ahead, he’s the one who runs the kitchen.”

A smile grew on Akaashi’s face, “thank you so much. I was so worried I was gonna have to cancel on Boku--” He suddenly stopped talking.

Had Iwaizumi just heard that correctly? “Bokuto?” Akaashi’s face gave Iwaizumi all the answers he needed. He had turned so red that Iwaizumi was beginning to question his well-being. Hadn’t he told Bokuto that Akaashi wouldn’t be interested? It seemed he _didn’t_ know that much about his sous-chef. 

Akaashi stumbled past Iwaizumi towards the door. “I’m gonna go find… Tanaka…”

\---

The rest of the day, the rest of the week actually, flew by. 

The mystery of Tanaka’s outburst was solved. It seemed that Noya, Hinata, and Tanaka had all misread the dates of the tournament. Iwaizumi had found Tanaka being consoled by Hinata about his misunderstanding. The three men had then proceeded to beg to Iwaizumi for the _next_ weekend off. Iwaizumi had agreed and ran away before they could all give him ‘a thousand hugs’. 

Suga continued to be Iwaizumi’s trusty secretary and a personal lifesaver. When Iwaizumi had finally made his way up to his office he found most of the paperwork completed, awaiting only his signatures. Suga had followed Iwaizumi to his office and was casually leaning against the door frame, waiting for Iwaizumi’s response. He got a hug and a pat on the head. What else could you possibly give such a perfect man. 

Iwaizumi, along with Daichi and Suga, worked endlessly to deal with all the press attention Seijoh had gotten. Iwaizumi was feeling more like a manager each day, taking phone calls, and answering emails, and setting up Skype interviews. It was all very tiring and Iwaizumi would come home at night and fall asleep with his work clothes still on. Meanwhile Daichi and Suga handled the more serious tasks of dealing with advertisement and scheduling more private events. If one good thing had come out of the Great King it was this. 

Of course, Iwaizumi couldn’t get the Great King out of his head. He really didn’t know what to think about the situation. Every time someone mentioned Oikawa, Iwaizumi’s heart would skip a beat and his face would grow warm. He couldn’t help but think of the way Oikawa had told him about their… past meeting; the way Oikawa’s voice had grown rough as he told Iwaizumi about the way they had kissed. At night when he slept his dreams would be full of dark eyes and chocolate hair and pale skin. Iwaizumi didn’t need this in his life. 

\---

Iwaizumi was tending to the bar on a slow Wednesday night when all of a sudden two blurry shapes jumped over the bar. Before he could even react Bokuto and Kuroo’s faces were close to his own. Kuroo raised his hand and poked a finger on Iwaizumi’s nose before he could be stopped. 

“Ow!” Iwaizumi exclaimed and pushed back the hand, “do you do that to all your friends?”

Kuroo’s thin eyebrows arched as he looked up, deep in thought. After a few seconds he looked back down. “Only the ones that get hurt before I can save them. Ask Bokuto.”

Iwaizumi looked at Bokuto. He seemed to be busy looking towards the kitchen but at the mention of his name he turned his head towards the other two. Bokuto’s owl-like eyes looked at Iwaizumi and he nodded in response. 

“Okay fine. But you’re still not allowed behind the bar.” Iwaizumi pushed both men towards the small half door which separated the back of the bar from the rest of the bar. They both protested against this but didn’t push their luck.

Iwaizumi settled Kuroo and Bokuto on two stools with drinks in their hands. Kuroo leaned towards Iwaizumi, his elbows resting on the counter. “Are you okay?” Kuroo sounded strangely like… well... Like a friend who actually cared about the wellbeing of others. 

“Yeah, I’m okay. Thank you for fixing my nose.” Iwaizumi traced his slightly swollen nose. “I’d be more of a mess if my nose got fucked up.” He picked up a glass and started washing it.

“I don’t know bro, you’d look like one of those american action heroes,” Bokuto chimed in.

Kuroo nodded and put some serious thought into what Bokuto had said. “Broken nose, murderous stare, shitty sense of humor. You’d be perfect.” Iwaizumi tried to hit Kuroo’s shoulder but he pulled away, sitting just beyond Iwaizumi’s reach. “So tell us, what did you do after you walked out on us?” 

“I went home.”

“Mhm, what else?” Bokuto asked, joining his friend at bothering the hell out of Iwaizumi.

“Do you think I’m lying?” Technically Iwaizumi wasn’t lying, just.. Omitting a few key facts about the story. One of them was the fact that he had taken Oikawa home.

Kuroo smiled, a terrifying grin that showed his sharp canines. “How’d you get home Iwaizumi?” 

Iwaizumi chose this time to throw the towel he’d been drying cups with at Kuroo, who caught it with a laugh. “Fuck off Kuroo.”

They didn’t stop bothering him the rest of the night. Iwaizumi was so close to kicking them out of the bar for ‘disturbing the peace’ but then Hinata and Kenma showed up. Kenma pulled of Kuroo’s hand until he got off the stool and followed him towards the exit. Bokuto trailed after them, complaining about not getting to see his true love that night. 

\---

It was Friday afternoon and Iwaizumi was just about to head into the shower before going to work. Then the phone rang. 

“Fucking hell,” Iwaizumi finished getting the remaining foot out of his running pants and ran out of the bathroom to find his phone. _Where is it, where is it._ It was too cold to be running around naked in his apartment looking for his phone. 

He found the phone in his bedroom underneath a pile of blankets. ‘Unknown Number Calling’. He pushed the answer button, “yes?”

A smooth voice answered, “did I catch you at a bad time?” The voice sounded so familiar but Iwaizumi couldn’t quite get a name. 

“Who is this?”

A chuckle. “Only your favorite reporter,” the voice said. Suddenly, Iwaizumi was able to place a face, and a name, to the caller. He saw blond hair and warm eyes and a goddamn tongue piercing and hands grabbing onto his collar and pulling him closer. The man chuckled again, it was deep and Iwaizumi finally remembered he was on the phone. Iwaizumi was very glad his apartment was so cold.

“Terushima.”

“So you do remember my name, that’s good.” The voice crackled as Iwaizumi moved around his apartment. He stepped back into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. “What’s that noise?” 

“Shower.” Iwaizumi leaned against the cold granite counter. “What do you need” 

“Ooh, did I interrupt your shower?” There was a teasing tone behind Terushima’s words.

“Not really, I was just about to get in when you called.” Was that too much information to share with a man he’d only met once?

Terushima hummed and made quiet shuffling noises. “What was that?” Iwaizumi asked.

The man sighed pleasantly. “Bed.” He breathed a few times and then began talking into the receiver. Had his voice gotten lower since Iwaizumi had picked up? “So Hajime, if you want I can keep this short or I can keep you standing naked in your bathroom for a _very_ long time.”

“Please keep it short. Yuuji,”

Terushima laughed again. He seemed to be in a very good mood. “Well, I was promised a behind the scenes look into the life of Seijoh’s mastermind. That would be you, Hajime. So if you’re free tomorrow I’d love to grab dinner and an interview.” Iwaizumi could hear the man’s smile through his voice. Cheeky. 

He really wanted to get _into_ the shower instead of leaning against the cool rock. “Yeah sure, just text me all the details--”

“Hajime...” Terushima’s soft voice was on the edge of becoming a quiet moan. It sent shivers down Iwaizumi’s bare back.

Iwaizumi made sure his mouth was able to move before he spoke. When he did speak he lowered his voice, “yes?” 

“N-Nothing. I’ll text you everything later. Goodnight.” The phone call ended abruptly and Iwaizumi was left naked with the phone in his hand and the hot water making the air sticky. 

Iwaizumi looked down and groaned. Hearing Terushima’s voice sound like _that_ was gonna make him spend his time in the shower doing more than just… well… showering. 

“Fuck.” 

\---

It was all going just fine that night, other than the thing that had happened earlier with a certain reporter. Until _he_ showed up. Iwaizumi was happily walking around the perimeter of the room, watching the crowd enjoy themselves, when the door opened and the cold air came in and he came in. 

The moment Oikawa Tooru stepped into the room all eyes were on him. He always did that, Iwaizumi noted. Something about the King just _made_ you want to look at him. Oikawa stepped into the club and Iwaizumi watched his every step while hiding in the shadows of the dark club. Oikawa moved towards the bar, people moving out of his way so he could glide across the room to the bar. 

Iwaizumi moved his eyes down Oikawa’s lithe frame. The man was as well dressed as he always was. Tonight, he wore all black. Black button up that he’d left open to give a peek at his pale collarbones. Black slacks that hung from his hips and framed that very nice ass. Black dress shoes that were shined up to the point of being _too_ shiny. Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. It was all so… Oikawa. 

Oikawa stepped up to the bar and Noya appeared immediately, ready to answer the king’s requests, no matter how ridiculous they may be. Iwaizumi watched as Oikawa asked a question and Noya shrugs his shoulders in an apology. Oikawa makes a hand gesture to dismiss Noya but Noya suddenly has a drink in his hand. With a shake of his head Oikawa moves his mouth some more, probably to explain that he doesn’t drink. Noya smiles and offers the drink to him once again. Oikawa accepts it, takes a small sip, and smiles. He moves away from the bar, taking two steps backwards before turning around to scan the faces in the crowd. Searching. 

_Is he looking for me?_ Iwaizumi wanted nothing to do with the man but his promise to Suga came to mind. He _had_ promised not to be a jerk to Oikawa hadn’t he? Iwaizumi sighs and begins walking towards the bar. Oikawa had been standing in the same spot this whole time, just watching the crowd. 

Iwaizumi reached to tap Oikawa’s shoulder. “Do you need something?” 

Oikawa turned around and smiled, “Hajime!” Iwaizumi is pulled into a warm hug. _This is just great._ Oikawa walked back to bar and lifted up the coat he’d left on the counter. “This is yours, Iwa-chan.” 

Iwaizumi can feel Nishinoya’s eyes on him and can’t keep his face from reddening. Iwaizumi took one look at Oikawa’s eyes and reached for the jacket, which Oikawa moved away from his before he could grab it. 

“Hajime,” Oikawa sounded so serious, what was it with today and people sounding serious? “Go to dinner with me tomorrow?” 

“Dinner?”

“Yes. Just dinner. Don’t let our past get in the way of the future Iwa-chan.” 

Oikawa looked so proud of himself that Iwaizumi just couldn't help it. “That was the shitiest motivational line I’ve ever heard.” 

Oikawa pouted those pretty little lips at him. “Just dinner Iwa-chan, let me thank you for everything you did last week. Please.”

Iwaizumi wouldn’t mind dinner but… he had other plans didn’t he. He had dinner with that other guy. “Terushima.” He whispered the name like a curse. 

Oikawa somehow picked up the name and the smile fled from his face. “I’m sorry did you say Terushima?” When Iwaizumi nodded Oikawa found the nearest seat at dropped into it. Oikawa covered his face with his hands so Iwaizumi was unable to figure out the expression he was making. “Do you have plans with Terushima?” Oikawa’s voice was muffled by his hands.

“Yes.”

“Are they for dinner tomorrow?”

Iwaizumi didn’t answer but that was enough information for Oikawa to put it all together. “Fuck.” Iwaizumi watched as Oikawa pulled out his phone and angrily typed up a message and hit send. Iwaizumi could tell Oikawa was not handling the news well. His face was twisted into a mix of desperation and disgust. 

“Oikawa.” When that didn’t get the other’s attention, Iwaizumi moved his hand so it lightly touched Oikawa’s and tried again. “Tooru.”

Oikawa looked back and forth between his hand and Iwaizumi’s eyes. “Y--Yes?” 

“I’ll go to dinner with you next week. Lets just say it’s a nice thing to do for the man you tormented for over a month.” Iwaizumi tried hard to ignore the way his heart was trying to jump out of his chest. Tried to ignore the way Oikawa’s lips turned into a small smile and the relief Iwaizumi felt when they did. He felt so… warm. He pulled his hand off of Oikawa’s and the warmth disappeared.

It seemed Oikawa was having a hard time understanding Iwaizumi’s words. Iwaizumi snapped his fingers in front of Oikawa’s face. “Hello?” _Is this a common occurrence?_

“Yeash-- I mean. Yes. Dinner next week. That is good.” Oikawa jumped out of his seat. “I gotta go, I told Kindaichi to wait in the car. He’s probably gonna be super mad at me now.” 

_I highly doubt Kindaichi can get mad at anyone._ “Have a goodnight, Oikawa.” 

Oikawa turned around and shot Iwaizumi his award winning smile but it was quickly replaced with something more real, more human. “Goodnight, Iwa-chan!”

Oikawa stepped out into the cold winter night. 

Iwaizumi was left behind with his heart still fluttering in his chest, wondering what the hell he’d done to deserve this... 

Whatever _this_ was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!! Next will be the daaate (or dates o.o)


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